The time of the arrest and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ was drawing near. As Jesus met with His disciples in the “upper room,” He expounded to them many things. In John 13:33He stated: “My children, I will be with you only a little longer . . . where I am going you cannot come.” The announcement of the coming separation led to the indication of its purpose. The season of bereavement was to be a season of spiritual growth. To this end Christ gave a commandment designed to lead His disciples to appropriate the lessons of His life, and in so doing, to realize their true character, to follow and to find Him as indicated in verses 34 and 35.

In light of their weak faith at this point, Jesus told them in John 14:1, “Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me . . . .” Jesus had just explained to them that one of them was a traitor; He had warned Peter that he would deny His Lord three times; and, perhaps the heaviest blow of all was that Jesus was going to leave them (John 13:33). Now He says, ” . . . let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1). In John 14:16- 17, Jesus gives them a statement of great encouragement: “And I will ask the Father (pray), and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever . . . the Spirit of Truth” (NIV).

The Greek word translated “Comforter or Counselor” is “Parakletos” as found in John 14:16, 26; 15:26; and 16:7. Once, it is translated “advocate” (1 John 2:1). The New International Version (NIV) has translated the word as Counselor. The form of the word is unquestionably passive. It can properly mean only “one called to the side of another,” and that with the secondary notion of counseling or supporting or aiding him. The contexts in which the word “paraclete” occurs in the New Testament lead to the same conclusions as the form and the independent usage of the word. In 1 John 2:1, the sense “Advocate” alone suits the argument, though the Greek fathers explain the term as applied to the Lord in the same way as in the Gospel. In the Gospel again, the sense of Advocate, counsel, one who pleads, convinces, convicts, who strengthens on the one hand and defends on the other, is alone adequate. Christ as the Advocate pleads the believer’s cause with the Father against the accuser Satan (1 John 2:1; compare Romans 8:26, and also Revelation 12:10; Zechariah 3:1). The Holy Spirit (Parakletos) as the Advocate pleads the believer’s cause against the world (John 16:8ff) and also Christ’s cause with the believer (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:14).

By saying what He did to His disciples, Jesus was comforting their troubled hearts. In 14:16 He states: “I will pray to the Father and He will send you another Comforter (paraklete–another is ‘allos,” one of the same kind, which is the Holy Spirit). First of all, this paraclete is God the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. He is a true personality and a personal being. He indwells every believer. He has been called in some translations “Encourager.” As the “Spirit of Truth,” the Holy Spirit illumines the Word of God so believers may understand it. He leads us in that truth of God’s Word. He uses the Word of truth to guide us into the will and the work of God.

The Holy Spirit abides in every believer. He is a gift from the Father in answer to the prayer of the Son (verse 16). During His earthly ministry, Jesus had guided, guarded, and taught His disciples, but now He was going to leave them. The Spirit of God would come to them and dwell in them, taking the place of their Master’s literal presence. Jesus called the Spirit “another Comforter” –another of the same kind. The Spirit of God is not different from the Son of God for both are God (One in essence). The Spirit of God had dwelt with the disciples in the Person of Jesus Christ. Now He would dwell in them.

During the Old Testament Age, the Spirit of God would come on people and then leave them. God’s Spirit departed from King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14; 18:12); and David, when confessing his sin, asked that the Spirit not be taken from him (Psalm 51:11). When the Spirit was given at Pentecost, He was given to God’s people to remain with them forever. Even though we may grieve the Holy Spirit, He will not leave us. Jesus said in Matthew 28:20 ” . . . And surely I am with always, to the very end of the age.” How is He with us when we are taught that He is in Heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father? He is with us by His Spirit (the other of the same kind — the Parakletos –the Comforter, the Advocate), who indwells us and never will leave us if we are true believers in Jesus Christ.

To have the Holy Spirit as our “Paraclete” is to have God Himself indwelling us as believers. He teaches us the Word and guides us into the truth of that Word. He also reminds us of what He has taught us so that we can depend on God’s Word in the difficult times of life. The Spirit uses the Word to give us His peace (John 14:27), His love (John 15:9, 10), and His joy (John 15:11). These are profound truths that comfort our hearts and minds in a troubled world. The power of this indwelling “paraclete” gives us the ability to “live by the Spirit so that we will not gratify the desires of the sinful flesh” and “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25). We, then, can have the “fruit of the Spirit” produced in our own lives (Galatians 5:22, 23) to the glory of God the Father. What a blessing to have the Holy Spirit in our lives as our “paraclete,” our Comforter, our Encourager, our Counselor, and our Advocate. Thank you, Father, for your wonderful gift!

“Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”—John 16:13.

This generation hath gradually, and almost imperceptibly, become to a great extent a godless generation. One of the diseases of the present generation of mankind, is their secret but deep-seated godlessness, by which they have so far departed from the knowledge of God. Science has discovered to us second causes; and hence, many have too much forgotten the first Great Cause, the Author of all: they have been able so far to pry into secrets, that the great axiom of the existence of a God, has been too much neglected. Even among professing Christians, while there is a great amount of religion, there is too little godliness: there is much external formalism, but too little inward acknowledgment of God, too little living on God, living with God, and relying upon God. Hence arises the sad fact that when you enter many of our places of worship you will certainly hear the name of God mentioned; but except in the benediction, you would scarcely know there was a Trinity. In many places dedicated to Jehovah the name of Jesus is too often kept in the background; the Holy Spirit is almost entirely neglected; and very little is said concerning his sacred influence. Even religious men have become to a large degree godless in this age. We sadly require more preaching regarding God; more preaching of those things which look not so much at the creature to be saved, as at God the Great One to be extolled. My firm conviction is, that in proportion as we have more regard for the sacred godhead, the wondrous Trinity in Unity, shall we see a greater display of God’s power, and a more glorious manifestation of his might in our churches. May God send us a Christ-exalting, Spirit-loving ministry—men who shall proclaim God the Holy Ghost in all his offices and shall extol God the Savior as the author and finisher of our faith, not neglecting that Great God, the Father of his people, who, before all worlds, elected us in Christ his Son, justified us through his righteousness, and will inevitably preserve us and gather us together in one, in the consummation of all things at the last great day.

Our text has regard to God the Holy Spirit; of Him we shall speak and Him only, if His sweet influence shall rest upon us.

The disciples had been instructed by Christ concerning certain elementary doctrines but Jesus did not teach his disciples more than what we should call the A B C of religion. He gives his reasons for this in the 12th verse: “I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now.” His disciples were not possessors of the Spirit. They had the Spirit so far as the work of conversion was concerned, but not as to the matters of bright illumination, profound instruction, prophecy, and inspiration. He says, “I am now about to depart, and when I go from you I will send the Comforter unto you. Ye cannot bear these things now howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth.” The same promise that he made to his apostles, stands good to all his children; and in reviewing it, we shall take it as our portion and heritage, and shall not consider ourselves intruders upon the manor of the apostles, or upon their exclusive rights and prerogatives; for we conceive that Jesus says even to us, “When he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth.”

Dwelling exclusively upon our text, we have five things. First of all, here is an attainment mentioned—a knowledge of all truth; secondly, here is a difficulty suggested—which is, that we need guidance into all truth; thirdly, here is a person provided—”when he, the Spirit shall come, he shall guide you into all truth; “fourthly, here is a manner hinted at—”he shall guide you into all truth;” fifthly here is a sign given as to the working of the Spirit—we may know whether he works, by his “guiding us into all truth,”—into all of one thing; not truths, but truth.

I. Here is AN ATTAINMENT MENTIONED, which is a knowledge of all truth. We know that some conceive doctrinal knowledge to be of very little importance, and of no practical use. We do not think so. We believe the science of Christ crucified and a judgment of the teachings of Scripture to be exceedingly valuable; we think it is right, that the Christian ministry should not only be arousing but instructing; not merely awakening, but enlightening: that it should appeal not only to the passions but to the understanding. We are far from thinking doctrinal knowledge to be of secondary importance; we believe it to be one of the first things in the Christian life, to know the truth, and then to practice it. We scarcely need this morning tell you how desirable it is for us to be well taught in things of the kingdom.

First of all, nature itself, (when it has been sanctified by grace,) gives us a strong desire to know all truth. The natural man separateth himself and intermeddleth with all knowledge. God has put an instinct in him by which he is rendered unsatisfied if he cannot probe mystery to its bottom; he can never be content until he can unriddle secrets. What we call curiosity is something given us of God impelling us to search into the knowledge of natural things; that curiosity, sanctified by the Spirit, is also brought to bear in matters of heavenly science and celestial wisdom. “Bless the Lord,” said David, “O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name!” If there is a curiosity within us, it ought to be employed and developed in a search after truth. “All that is within me,” sanctified by the Spirit should he developed, And, verily, the Christian man feels an intense longing to bury his ignorance and receive wisdom. If he, when in his natural estate panted for terrestrial knowledge, how much more ardent is the wish to unravel, if possible, the sacred mysteries of God’s Word! A true Christian is always intently reading and searching the Scripture that he may be able to certify himself as to its main and cardinal truths. I do not think much of that man who does not wish to understand doctrines; I cannot conceive him to be in a right position when he thinks it is no matter whether he believes a lie or truth, whether he is heretic or orthodox, whether he received the Word of God as it is written, or as it is diluted and misconstrued by man. God’s Word will ever be to a Christian a source of great anxiety; a sacred instinct within will lead him to pry into it; he will seek to understand it. Oh! there are some who forget this, men who purposely abstain from mentioning what are called high doctrines, because they think if they should mention high doctrines they would be dangerous; so they keep them back. Foolish men! they do not know anything of human nature; for if they did understand a grain’s worth of humanity, they would know that the hiding of these things impels men to search them out. From the fact that they do not mention them, they drive men to places where these and these only, are preached. They say, “If I preach election, and predestination and these dark things, people will all go straight away, and become Antinomians.” I am not so sure if they were to be called Antinomians it would hurt them much; but hear me, oh, ye ministers that conceal these truths, that is the way to make them Antinomians, by silencing these doctrines. Curiosity is strong; if you tell them they must not pluck the truth, they will be sure to do it; but if you give it to them as you find it in God’s Word, they will not seek to “wrest” it. Enlightened men will have the truth, and if they see election in Scripture they will say, “it is there, and I will find it out. If I cannot get it in one place, I will get it in another.” The true Christian has an inward longing and anxiety after it; he is hungry and thirsty after the word of righteousness, and he must and will feed on this bread of heaven, or at all hazards he will leave the husks which unsound divines would offer him.

Not only is this attainment to be desired because nature teaches us so, but a knowledge of all truth is very essential for our comfort. I do believe that many persons have been distressed half their lives from the fact that they had not clear views of truth. Many poor souls, for instance, under conviction, abide three or four times as long in sorrow of mind as they would require to do if they had some one to instruct them in the great matter of justification. So there are believers who are often troubling themselves about falling away; but if they knew in their soul the great consolation that we are kept by the grace of God through faith unto salvation, they would be no more troubled about it. So have I found some distressed about the unpardonable sin; but if God instructs us in that doctrine, and shows us that no conscience that is really awakened ever can commit that sin, but that when it is committed God gives us up to a scared conscience, so that we never fear or tremble afterwards, all that distress would be alleviated. Depend on this, the more you know of God’s truth—all things else being equal—the more comfortable you will be as a Christian. Nothing can give a greater light on your path than a clear understanding of divine things. It is a mingle-mangled gospel too commonly preached, which causes the downcast faces of Christians. Give me the congregation whose faces are bright with joy, let their eyes glisten at the sound of the gospel, then will I believe that it is God’s own words they are receiving. Instead thereof you will often see melancholy congregations whose visages are not much different from the bitter countenance of poor creatures swallowing medicine, because the word spoken terrifies them by its legality, instead of comforting them by its grace. We love a cheerful gospel, and we think “all the truth” will tend to comfort the Christian.

“Comfort again?” says another, “always comfort.” Ah, but there is another reason why we prize truth, because we believe that a true knowledge of all the truth will keep us very much out of danger. No doctrine is so calculated to preserve a man from sin as the doctrine of the grace of God. Those who have called it a licentious doctrine did not know anything at all about it. Poor ignorant things, they little knew that their own vile stuff was the most licentious doctrine under heaven. If they knew the grace of God in truth, they would soon see that there was no preservative from lying like a knowledge that we are elect of God from the foundation of the world. There is nothing like a belief in my eternal perseverance, and the immutability of my Father’s affection, which can keep me near to him from a motive of simple gratitude. Nothing makes a man so virtuous as belief of truth. A lying doctrine will soon beget a lying practice. A man cannot have an erroneous belief without by-and-bye having an erroneous life. I believe the one thing naturally begets the other. Keep near God’s truth; keep near his word; keep the head right, and especially keep your heart right with regard to truth, and your feet will not go far astray.

Again, I hold also that this attainment to the knowledge of all truth is very desirable for the usefulness which it will give us in the world at large. We should not be selfish: we should always consider whether a thing will be beneficial to others. A knowledge of all truth will make us very serviceable in this world. We shall be skillful physicians who know how to take the poor distressed soul aside, to put the finger on his eye, and take the scale off for him, that heaven’s light may comfort him. There will be no character, however perplexing may be its peculiar phase, but we shall be able to speak to it and comfort it. He who holds the truth, is usually the most useful man. As a good Presbyterian brother said to me the other day: “I know God has blessed you exceedingly in gathering in souls, but it is an extraordinary fact that nearly all the men I know—with scarcely an exception—who have been made useful in gathering in souls, have held the great doctrines of the grace of God.” Almost every man whom God has blessed to the building up of the church in prosperity, and around whom the people have rallied, has been a man who has held firmly free grace from first to last, through the finished salvation of Christ. Do not you think you need have errors in your doctrine to make you useful. We have some who preach Calvinism all the first part of the sermon, and finish up with Arminianism, because they think that will make them useful. Useful nonsense!—That is all it is. A man if he cannot be useful with the truth, cannot be useful with an error. There is enough in the pure doctrine of God, without introducing heresies to preach to sinners. As far as I know, I never felt hampered or cramped in addressing the ungodly in my life. I can speak with as much fervency, and yet not in the same style as those who hold the contrary views of God’s truth. Those who hold God’s word, never need add something untrue in speaking to men. The sturdy truth of God touches every chord in every man’s heart. If we can, by God’s grace, put our hand inside man’s heart, we want nothing but that whole truth to move him thoroughly, and to stir him up. There is nothing like the real truth and the whole truth, to make a man useful.

II. Now, again, here is a DIFFICULTY SUGGESTED, and that is—that we require a guide to conduct us into all truth. The difficulty is that truth is not so easy to discover. There is no man born in this world by nature who has the truth in his heart. There is no creature that ever was fashioned, since the fall, who has a knowledge of truth innate and natural. It has been disputed by many philosophers whether there are such things as innate ideas at all; but is of no use disputing as to whether there are any innate ideas of truth. There are none such. There are ideas of everything that is wrong and evil; but in us—that is our flesh—there dwelleth no good thing, we are born in sin, and shapened in iniquity; in sin did our mother conceive us. There is nothing in us good, and no tendency to righteousness. Then since we are not born with the truth, we have the task of searching for it. If we are to be blest by being eminently useful as Christian men, we must be well instructed in matters of revelation; but here is the difficulty—that we cannot follow without a guide the winding paths of truth. Why this?

First, because of the very great intricacy of truth itself. Truth itself is no easy thing to discover. Those who fancy they know everything and constantly dogmatise with the spirit of “We are the men, and wisdom will die with us,” of course see no difficulties whatever in the system they hold; but I believe, the most earnest student of Scripture will find things in the Bible which puzzle him; however earnestly he reads it, he will see some mysteries too deep for him to understand. He will cry out “Truth! I cannot find thee; I know not where thou art, thou art beyond me; I cannot fully view thee.” Truth is a path so narrow that two can scarce walk together in it; we usually tread the narrow way in single file, two men can seldom walk arm in arm in the truth. We believe the same truth in the main but we cannot walk together in the path, it is too narrow. The way of truth is very difficult. If you step an inch aside on the right you are in a dangerous error, and if you swerve a little to the left you are equally in the mire. On the one hand there is a huge precipice, and on the other a deep morass; and unless you keep to the true line, to the breadth of a hair, you will go astray. Truth is a narrow path indeed. It is a path the eagle’s eye hath not seen, and a depth the diver hath not visited. It is like the veins of metal in a mine, it is often of excessive thinness, and moreover it runneth not in one continued layer. Lose it once, and you may dig for miles and not discover it again; the eye must watch perpetually the direction of the lode. Grains of truth are like the grains of gold in the rivers of Australia—they must be shaken by the hand of patience, and washed in the stream of honesty, or the fine gold will be mingled with sand. Truth is often mingled with error, and it is hard to distinguish it; but we bless God it is said, “When the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth.”

Another reason why we need a guide is, the invidiousness of error. It busily steals upon us, and, if I may so describe our position, we are often like we were on Thursday night in that tremendous fog. Most of us were feeling for ourselves, and wondering where on earth we were. We could scarcely see an inch before us. We came to a place where there were three turnings. We thought we knew the old spot. There was the lamp-post, and now we must take a sharp turn to the left; but not so. We ought to have gone a little to the right. We have been so often to the same place, that we think we know every flag-stone—and there’s our friend’s shop over the way. It is dark, but we think we must be quite right, and all the while we are quite wrong, and find ourselves half-a-mile out of the way. So—it is with matters of truth. We think, surely this is the right path; and the voice of the evil one whispers, “that is the way, walk ye in it.” You do so, and you find to your great dismay, that instead of the path of truth, you have been walking in the paths of unrighteousness and erroneous doctrines. The way of life is a labyrinth; the grassiest paths and the most bewitching, are the farthest away from right; the most enticing, are those which are garnished with wrested truths I believe there is not a counterfeit coin in the world so much like a genuine one, as some errors are like the truth. One is base metal, the other is true gold; still in externals they differ very little.

We also need a guide, because we are so prone to go astray. Why, if the path of heaven were as straight as Bunyan pictures it, with no turning to the right hand or left—and no doubt it is,—we are so prone to go astray, that we should go to the right hand to the Mountains of Destruction, or to the left in the dark Wood of Desolation. David says, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep.” That means very often: for if a sheep is put into a field twenty times, if it does not get out twenty-one times, it will be because it cannot; because the place is hurdled up, and it cannot find a hole in the hedge. If grace did not guide a man, he would go astray, though there were hand-posts all the way to heaven. Let it be written, “Miklat, Miklat, the way to refuge,” he would turn aside, and the avenger of blood would overtake him, if some guide did not, like the angels in Sodom, put his hand on his shoulders, and cry, “Escape, escape, for thy life! look not behind thee; stay not in all the plain.” These, then, are the reasons why we need a guide.

III. In the third place, here is A PERSON PROVIDED. This is none other than God, and this God is none other than a person. This person is “he, the Spirit,” the “Spirit of truth;” not an influence or an emanation, but actually a person. “when the Spirit of truth is come, he shall guide you into all truth.” Now, we wish you to look at this guide to consider how adapted he is to us.

In the first place, he is infallible; he knows everything and cannot lead us astray. If I pin my sleeve to another man’s coat, he may lead me part of the way rightly, but by-and-bye he will go wrong himself, and I shall be led astray with him; but if I give myself to the Holy Ghost and ask his guidance, there is no fear of my wandering.

Again, we rejoice in this Spirit because he is ever-present. We fall into a difficulty sometimes; we say, “Oh, if I could take this to my minister, he would explain it; but I live so far off, and am not able to see him.” That perplexes us, and we turn the text round and round and cannot make anything out of it. We look at the commentators. We take down pious Thomas Scott, and, as usual he says nothing about it if it be a dark passage. Then we go to holy Matthew Henry, and if it is an easy Scripture, he is sure to explain it; but if it is a text hard to be understood, it is likely enough, of course, left in his own gloom; and even Dr. Gill himself, the most consistent of commentators, when he comes to a hard passage, manifestly avoids it in some degree. But when we have no commentator or minister, we have still the Holy Spirit; and let me tell you a little secret: whenever you cannot understand a text, open your Bible, bend your knee, and pray over that text; and if it does not split into atoms and open itself, try again. If prayer does not explain it, it is one of the things God did not intend you to know, and you may be content to be ignorant of it. Prayer is the key that openeth the cabinets of mystery. Prayer and faith are sacred picklocks that can open secrets, and obtain great treasures. There is no college for holy education like that of the blessed Spirit, for he is an ever-present tutor, to whom we have only to bend the knee, and he is at our side, the great expositor of truth.

But there is one thing about the suitability of this guide which is remarkable. I do not know whether it has struck you—the Holy Spirit can “guide us into a truth.” Now, man can guide us to a truth, but it is only the Holy Spirit who can “guide us into a truth.” “When he, the Spirit of truth, shall come, he shall guide you into“—mark that word—”all truth.” Now, for instance, it is a long while before you can lead some people to election; but when you have made them see its correctness, you have not led them “into” it. You may show them that it is plainly stated in Scripture, but they will turn away and hate it. You take them to another great truth, but they have been brought up in a different fashion, and though they cannot answer your arguments, they say, “The man is right, perhaps,” and they whisper—but so low that conscience itself cannot hear—”but it is so contrary to my prejudices, that I cannot receive it.” After you have led them to the truth, and they see it is true, how hard it is to lead them into it! There are many of my hearers who are brought to the truth of their depravity, but they are not brought into it, and made to feel it. Some of you are brought to know the truth that God keeps us from day to day; but you rarely get into it, so as to live in continual dependence upon God the Holy Ghost, and draw fresh supplies from him. The thing is—to get inside it. A Christian should do with truth as a snail does with his shell—live inside it, as well as carry it on his back, and bear it perpetually about with him. The Holy Ghost, it is said, shall lead us into all truth. You may be brought to a chamber where there is an abundance of gold and silver, but you will be no richer unless you effect an entrance. It is the Spirit’s work to unbar the two leaved gates, and bring us into a truth, so that we may get inside it, and, as dear old Rowland Hill said, “Not only hold the truth, but have the truth hold us.”

IV. Fourthly, here is; METHOD SUGGESTED: “He shall guide you into all truth.” Now I must have an illustration. I must compare truth to some cave or grotto that you have heard of, with wondrous stalactites hanging from the roof, and others starting from the floor; a cavern, glittering with spar and abounding in marvels. Before entering the cavern you inquire for a guide, who comes with his lighted flambeau. He conducts you down to a considerable depth, and you find yourself in the midst of the cave. He leads you through different chambers. Here he points to a little stream rushing from amid the rocks, and indicates its rise and progress; there he points to some peculiar rock and tells you its name; then takes you into a large natural hall, tells you how many persons once feasted in it; and so on. Truth is a grand series of caverns, it is our glory to have so great and wise a conductor. Imagine that we are coming to the darkness of it. He is a light shining in the midst of us to guide us; and by the light he shows us wondrous things. In three ways the Holy Ghost teaches us: by suggestion, direction, and illumination.

First, he guides us into all truth by suggesting it. There are thoughts that dwell in our minds that were not born there, but which were exotics brought from heaven and put there by the spirit. It is not a fancy that angels whisper into our ears, and that devils do the same: both good and evil spirits hold converse with men; and some of us have known it. We have had strange thoughts which were not the offspring of our souls, but which came from angelic visitants; and direct temptations and evil insinuations have we had which were not brewed in our own souls, but which came from the pestilential cauldron of hell. So the Spirit doth speak in men’s ears, sometimes in the darkness of the night. In ages gone by he spoke in dreams and visions, but now he speaketh by his Word. Have you not at times had unaccountably in the middle of your business a thought concerning God and heavenly things, and could not tell whence it came? Have you not been reading or studying the Scripture, but a text came across your mind, and you could not help it; though you even put it down it was like cork in water, and would swim up again to the top of your mind. Well, that good thought was put there by the Spirit; he often guides his people into all truth by suggesting, just as the guide in the grotto does with his flambeau. He does not say a word, perhaps, but he walks into a passage himself, and you follow him, so the Spirit suggests a thought, and your heart follows it up. Well can I remember the manner in which I learned the doctrines of grace in a single instant. Born, as all of us are by nature, an Arminian, I still believed the old things I had heard continually from the pulpit, and did not see the grace of God. I remember sitting one day in the house of God and hearing a sermon as dry as possible, and as worthless as all such sermons are, when a thought struck my mind—how came I to be converted? I prayed, thought I. Then I thought how came I to pray? I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. How came I to read the Scriptures? Why—I did read them, and what led me to that? And then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of all, and that he was the author of faith; and then the whole doctrine opened up to me, from which I have not departed.

But sometimes he leads us by direction. The guide points and says—”There, gentlemen, go along that particular path, that is the way.” So the Spirit gives a direction and tendency to our thoughts; not suggesting a new one but letting a particular thought when it starts take such-and-such a direction; not so much putting a boat on the stream as steering it when it is there. When our thoughts are considering sacred things he leads us into a more excellent channel from that in which we started. Time after time have you commenced a meditation on a certain doctrine and, unaccountably, you were gradually led away into another, and you saw how one doctrine leaned on another, as is the case with the stones in the arch of a bridge, all hanging on the keystone of Jesus Christ crucified. You were brought to see these things not by a new idea suggested, but by direction given to your thoughts.

But perhaps the best way in which the Holy Ghost leads us into all truth is by illumination. He illuminates the Bible. Now, have any of you an illuminated Bible at home? “No,” says one, “I have a morocco Bible; I have a Polyglot Bible; I have a marginal reference Bible.” Ah! that is all very well but have you an illuminated Bible? “Yes, I have a large family Bible with pictures in it.” There is a picture of John the Baptist baptizing Christ by pouring water on his head and many other nonsensical things; but that is not what I mean: have you an illuminated Bible? “Yes, I have a Bible with splendid engravings in it.” Yes; I know you may have; but have you an illuminated Bible? “I don’t understand what you mean by an illuminated Bible.” Well, it is the Christian man who has an illuminated Bible. He does not buy it illuminated originally, but when he reads it

“A glory gilds the sacred page,
Majestic like the sun
Which gives a light to every age,—
It gives, but burrows none.”

There is nothing like reading an illuminated Bible, beloved. You may read to all eternity, and never learn anything by it, unless it is illuminated by the Spirit; and then the words shine forth like stars. The book seems made of gold leaf; every single letter glitters like a diamond. Oh, it is a blessed thing to read an illuminated Bible lit up by the radiance of the Holy Ghost. Hast thou read the Bible and studied it, my brother, and yet have thine eyes been unenlightened? Go and say, “O Lord gild the Bible for me. I want an expounded Bible. Illuminate it; shine upon it; for I cannot read it to profit, unless thou enlightenest me.” Blind men may read the Bible with their fingers, but blind souls cannot. We want a light to read the Bible by, there is no reading it in the dark. Thus the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, by suggesting ideas, by directing our thoughts, and by illuminating the Scriptures when we read them.

V. The last thing is AN EVIDENCE. The question arises, How may I know whether I am enlightened by the Spirit’s influence, and led into all truth?

First, you may know the Spirit’s influence by its unity—he guides us into all truth: secondly, by its universality—he guides us into all truth. First, if you are judging a minister, whether he has the Holy Ghost in him or not, you may know him in the first place, by the constant unity of his testimony. A man cannot be enlightened by the Holy Spirit, who preaches yea and nay. The Spirit never says one thing at one time and another thing at another time. There are indeed many good men who say both yea and nay, but still their contrary testimonies are not both from God the Spirit, for God the Spirit cannot witness to black and white, to a falsehood and truth. It has been always held as a first principle, that truth is one thing; but some persons say, “I find one thing in one part of the Bible and another thing in another and though it contradicts itself I must believe it.” All quite right, brother, if it did contradict itself; but the fault is not in the wood but in the carpenter. Many carpenters do not understand dovetailing, so there are many preachers who do not understand dove-tailing. It is very nice work, and it is not easily learnt, it takes some apprenticeship to make all doctrines square together. Some preachers preach very good Calvinism for half-an-hour, and the next quarter-of-an hour Arminianism. If they are Calvinists, let them stick to it; if they are Arminians, let them stick to it, let their preaching be all of a piece. Don’t let them pile up things only to kick them all down again; let us have one thing woven from the top throughout, and let us not rend it. How did Solomon know the true mother of the child. “Cut it in halves,” said he. The woman who was not the mother, did not care so long as the other did not get the whole, and she consented. “Ah,” said the true mother, “give her the living child. Let her have it, rather than cut it in halves “So the true child of God would say “I give it up, let my opponent conquer; I do not went to have the truth cut in halves. I would rather be all wrong, than have the word altered to my taste. “We do not want to have a divided Bible. No, we claim the whole living child or none at all. We may rest assured of this, that until we get rid of our linsey-wolsey doctrine, and cease to sow mingled seed, we shall not have a blessing. An enlightened mind cannot believe a gospel which denies itself; it must be one thing or the other. One thing cannot contradict another, and yet it and its opposite be equally true. You may know the Spirit’s influence then, by the unity of its testimony.

And you may know it by its universality. The true child of God will not be led into some truth but into all truth. When first he starts he will not know half the truth, he will believe it but not understand it; he will have the germ of it but not the sum total in all its breadth and length. There is nothing like learning by experience. A man cannot set up for a theologian in a week. Certain doctrines take years to develop themselves. Like the aloe that taketh a hundred years to be dressed, there be some truths that must lie long in the heart before they really come out and make themselves appear so that we can speak of them as that we do know; and testify of that which we have seen. The Spirit will gradually lead us into all truth. For instance if it be true that Jesus Christ is to reign upon the earth personally for a thousand years, as I am inclined to believe it is, if I be under the Spirit, that will be more and more opened to me, until I with confidence declare it. Some men begin very timidly. A man says, at first, “I know we are justified by faith, and have peace with God, but so many have cried out against eternal justification, that I am afraid of it.” But he is gradually enlightened, and led to see that in the same hour when all his debts were paid, a full discharge was given; that in the moment when its sin was cancelled, every elect soul was justified in God’s mind, though they were not; justified in their own minds till afterwards. The Spirit shall lead you into all truth.

Now, what are the practical inferences from this great doctrine? The first is with reference to the Christian who is afraid of his own ignorance. How many are there who are just enlightened and have tasted of heavenly things, who are afraid they are too ignorant to be saved! Beloved, God the Holy Spirit can teach any one, however illiterate, however uninstructed. I have known some men who were almost idiots before conversion, but they afterwards had their faculties wonderfully developed. Some time ago there was a man who was so ignorant that he could not read, and he never spoke anything like grammar in his life, unless by mistake; and moreover, he was considered to be what the people in his neighborhood called “daft.” But when he was converted, the first thing he did was to pray He stammered out a few words, and in a little time his powers of speaking began to develop themselves. Then he thought he would like to read the Scriptures, and after long, long months of labor, he learned to read; and what was the next thing? He thought he could preach; and he did preach a little in his own homely way, in his house. Then he thought “I must read a few more books.” And so his mind expanded, until, I believe he is at the present day, a useful minister, settled in a country village, laboring for God. It needs but little intellect to be taught of God. If you feel your ignorance do not despair. Go to the Spirit—the great Teacher—and ask his sacred influence, and it shall come to pass that he “shall guide you into all truth.”

Another inference is this whenever any of our brethren do not understand the truth let us take a hint as to the best way of dealing with them. Do not let us controvert with them. I have heard many controversies, but never heard of any good from one of them. We have had controversies with certain men called Secularists, and very strong arguments have been brought against them; but I believe that the day of judgment shall declare that a very small amount of good was ever done by contending with these men. Better let them alone, where no fuel is the fire goeth out; and he that debateth with them puts wood upon the fire. So with regard to Baptism. It is of no avail to quarrel with our Paedo-baptist friends. If we simply pray for them that the God of truth may lead them to see the true doctrine, they will come to it far more easily than by discussions. Few men are taught by controversy, for

“A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.”

Pray for them that the Spirit of truth may lead them “into all truth.” Do not be angry with your brother, but pray for him; cry, “Lord! open thou his eyes that he may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”

Lastly, we speak to some of you who know nothing about the Spirit of truth, nor about the truth itself. It may be that some of you are saying, “We care not much which of you are right, we are happily indifferent to it.” Ah! but, poor sinner, if thou knewest the gift of God, and who it was that spake the truth, thou wouldst not say, “I care not for it;” if thou didst know how essential the truth is to thy salvation, thou wouldst not talk so; if thou didst know that the truth of God is—that thou art a worthless sinner, but if thou believest, then God from all eternity, apart from all thy merits, loved thee, and bought thee with the Redeemer’s blood, and justified thee in the forum of heaven, and will by-and-bye justify thee in the forum of thy conscience through the Holy Ghost by faith; if thou didst know that there is a heaven for thee beyond the chance of a failure, a crown for thee, the lustre of which can never be dimmed;—then thou wouldst say, “Indeed the truth is precious to my soul!” Why, my ungodly hearers, these men of error want to take away the truth, which alone can save you, the only gospel that can deliver you from hell; they deny the great truths of free-grace, those fundamental doctrines which alone can snatch a sinner from hell; and even though you do not feel interest in them now, I still would say, you ought to desire to see them promoted. May God give you to know the truth in your hearts! May the Spirit “guide you into all truth!” For if you do not know the truth here, recollect there will be a sorrowful learning of it in the dark chambers of the pit, where the only light shall be the flames of hell! May you here know the truth! And the truth shall make you free: and if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed, for he says, “I am the way, the truth, the life.” Believe on Jesus thou chief of sinners; trust his love and mercy, and thou art saved, for God the Spirit giveth faith and eternal life.

“…by grace are ye saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. “
-Ephesians 2:8

CONSIDER AFRESH the often asked question on the above text: “What is referred to by the last phrase, “it is the gift of God?” Does the apostle teach that grace is the gift of God, or does he say it is salvation, or perhaps that faith is the gift of God?

Look first at the word ‘grace.’ Aside from the Apostle James’ reference to a flower’s vanished glory, both ‘grace’ and ‘favor’ in the New Testament King James Version are always a translation of the same Greek word, charis (khar’ece, Strong #5485). Its first definition in Strong’s Greek Lexicon is “graciousness,…of manner or act.” And it is of interest to note that Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary puts as its first definition of grace, “unmerited divine assistance given man for his regeneration or sanctification.” So grace is favor, “unmerited favor.”

Salvation by Grace

Grace is, therefore, God’s unmerited favor – His goodness toward those who have no claim on, nor reason to expect, divine favor. The principal manifestation of God’s grace has heen in the form of a gift. We think the apostle meant that salvation is “the gift of God,” or, as emphatically put in the Greek, “of God is it the gift.” Salvation is not our achievement, but it is a gift from God. That truth is made stronger by contrast. It is ‘not of ourselves’ and “not of works.” Salvation is indeed the most extraordinary expression of God’s grace.

Salvation is of divine origin. But it is not anything that God was bound to arrange by the necessity of His nature. It is the result of His gracious will. Had it not been for His good pleasure, salvation would never have come. “By grace are ye saved.” The Greek grammar denotes not the act of being saved, but the fact of having been saved. God’s grace rather than human merit is the source of the whole arrangement. We are saved gratuitously. Salvation is a gift; it is not earned.

Faith

But what about faith? We inquire into this because, other than the clearly stated gift of miraculously-conferred faith (1 Cor. 12:9), some suggest that it is faith which “is the gift of God.” Certainly faith is a received quality. It is among blessings which answer to Paul’s rhetorical question, “what has thou that thou didst not receive?” (1 Cor. 4:7) But the elements of character which please God, among which is faith, as well as the temporal possessions and necessities held by Jesus’ disciples, are generally attained through conscious effort. They are ‘received’ through our cooperation amidst God’s overruling providences.

Faith, wherever present, exists in the mind, and it is generated by the holy spirit’s influence of light and peace. Faith, in common with every other Christian virtue, exists in the heart that has responded to spiritual influences. Paul wrote that “all [men] have not faith.” (2 Thes. 3:2) That does not suggest, however, that those who have faith received it as “the gift of God” as though an answer to our question. It is one’s own mind and being that believes. It is not possible for God to believe for man, and convey that belief as a gift. The apostle wrote, rather, that “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. “-Rom. 10:17

Paul understood that faith is built and constructed; it grows and enlarges. He encouraged believers to increase in faith: “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth.” (2 Thes. 1:3) ‘Soundness of faith’ comes through hearing, thinking, learning and trusting, and sometimes by victory following rebuke.-Titus 1:13

Salvation through Faith

Salvation is not of ourselves (as seen foregoing). We are saved by grace. The salvation comes through faith in God’s revealed purpose in His Son who died for all. Nothing aside from faith would enable our receiving of the gift of salvation. We of the human family were justly condemned to death for sin and disobedience. Those who break God’s righteous law have no standing before Him in their own righteousness. Inasmuch as “there is none righteous, no, not one,” all need God’s grace and favor.

None in the human family has a vantage point or place of approach from which to require or demand God’s blessing. God Himself needed to make the first move in the rescue of man. And He did. After the first human pair entered the broad road leading into death, the LORD God made a promise intimating the eventual recovery of mankind from Satan’s influence. And God is specially pleased with those who believe, even though few respond to His promises. Those who do respond to God’s revealed will are greatly blessed. One of those was Noah. The word ‘grace’ is first used in Scripture in regard to him. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen. 6:8) The faith of Noah in God’s promises saved him and his family from death in the flood.

But now that Jesus has laid down his human life in sacrifice as an atonement for sin, those who follow on in faith in the steps of their heaven-sent Redeemer receive eternal-life salvation. Such faith makes all things new: those far off are brought nigh, they pass from death to life, from disobedience to sonship, from evil conduct to good works, from fleshly desires to spiritual fellowship, from children of wrath to sitting in the heavenlies. Those improved relationships are described by the Apostle Paul:

‘And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince ofthe power of the air, ofthe spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches in His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh,…were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers in the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. “-Eph. 2:1-13 NASB

The Way of Salvation

Sin, death, and accompanying sorrows have through the ages, as today, prompted many to inquire into God’s saving grace. Our recognition of God’s blessing leads to confession of sins and shortcomings, and true heart belief. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. ” (Acts 16:31) That answer of Paul to the fearful prison keeper is still true. None need fear to put trust in Jesus. He purchased all mankind with His own precious blood. He has received all power in heaven and in earth. Salvation is free to all who trust in Him and continue following on in faith. All devoted believers have authority to speak on behalf of Christ. We say in Christ’s stead to the sincere and honest hearted, “be ye reconciled to God.” (2 Cor. 5:20) Our commission is to direct the sin-weary and heavy-laden to the Savior of all men!

Jesus clearly taught that salvation comes through faith. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life.” (John 5:24 NASB) Faith is taking God at His word, as Paul wrote: “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. “-Rom. 10:17 NASB

This is truth beyond doubting! We are saved by grace, through faith, through believing the Word of truth. The gospel promises salvation, full and free. God’s loving mercy is the “good news” message to the sin-sick and weary-salvation offered freely to all, without money and without price.-Isa. 55:1-3

A living and active love for God expands with one’s enlarging appreciation of His unmerited favor in the great salvation. “We love Him, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) And when we come to love God and our Lord Jesus, we come to love those who are of the same mind. We grow in loving sympathy for our brethren in their fight of faith. And we come to love all mankind, so loved by God as to send His only begotten Son to suffer cruel death, the price of human redemption.

Gifts from God

Jesus was sent to “save his people from their sins. ” (Mat. 1:21) He came to save from death, which is caused by sin. The saved thus have eternal life. “And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son. He that hath [belief in] the Son hath life; and he that hath not [belief in] the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5:11,12) By God’s grace, salvation life is free as a gift through faith.

Again and again Gods gift was affirmed. By Jesus to Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3 16

Again by Jesus to the woman: “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” – John 4:14

By Paul to the Corinthians: “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable [indescribable NASB] gift.” – 2 Cor 9:15

Again by Paul to the Romans: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Rom.6.23

“The Grace of God”

What a nice expression – “the grace of God.” It prompts pleasant and peaceful thoughts about our Father, the great Creator But Paul’s use of “the grace of God” phrase in Titus 2:11 appears to be with a specific purpose There the expression refers to the Savior of mankind. That four word phrase “the grace of God is a synonym for Jesus: “For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men.” (RSV) How beautiful! The sequence of phrases puts in good perspective the reality of His manifestation. He is the gift of God’s grace by which all men may be saved. How wonderful to know it! “The grace of God has appeared!”

Paul wrote a similarly-identifying phrase. Its words are specific too – “the goodness and loving kindness of God.” The context shows that those words refer to Jesus. “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared [“God our Savior” – a reference to the Father, of which more to be said later], he [God] saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the holy spirit which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savio.” (Titus 3:4-6 RSV) “The goodness and loving kindness of God” another synonym for Jesus, a companion phrase to that in Titus 2:11 – “the grace of God.”

The Apostle in Hebrews 2:9 attributes salvation from death to God’s grace: “…we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death… that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” The thought is that Jesus experienced death so that every man who dies need not stay dead for ever. Indeed what grace…from “the God of all grace.” -1 Pet. 5:10

Paul also shows that “the grace of that one man Jesus Christ” in conjunction with or united with “the grace of God” provided the free gift. This in Rom. 5:15,16 (RSV): “But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the effect of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification.” The twin thoughts which attach to the words “the free gift” relate as cause and effect. The first thought is of Jesus – given in death as man’s ransom. The second thought is the benefit of that ransom conferred upon all who really believe on Jesus – justification with its accompanying salvation.

“God Our Savior”

It is generally acknowledged by commentators that the words “God our Savior” noted above in “the kindness of God our Savior” refer to God himself, not to His Son Jesus. The same three-word phrase was spoken in prayer by Mary of the almighty God and heavenly Father (Luke 1:46-48), and written by Jude in verse 25 of his epistle, and three times by Paul (Titus 2:10, 3:4, 1 Tim: 1:1, 2:3). Aware that God is the architect and all-wise planner of salvation and its process, they all acknowledge the Father as “God our Savior.” He is the one God Who has been from everlasting and Who shall be unto everlasting, and Who enlisted the faithful service of His beloved Son.

Grace for Grace

Jesus’ disciples perceived that He who walked among them was indeed “full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) He always reflected God’s favor. Fellowship with His Father was never interrupted. Being now perfected in the heavenlies, completed by the things which he suffered, having demonstrated faultless obedience despite temptation and accusations of blasphemy, Jesus sends forth of His fulness as His blessing upon believers.

The Apostle John affirmed himself as one of those so greatly blessed.

“For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” – John 1:16,17, NASB

“Grace for grace“(KJV)…just what does that mean? Surely not that the grace of the old covenant is replaced by that of the new administration. Grace interchanging with grace is meant; grace replaced by fuller grace; greater depths to our spiritual relationship and fellowship; greater measures of spiritual understanding, sustenance and strength; continual impressions of received favor, new grace coming upon and superseding that formerly received. This becomes true in our individual experience. Grace is enjoyed in proportion to our growth in appreciation for God’s favor channeled through our Redeemer. And that all comes because of and out of His fulness.

“For out of His fulness (abundance) we all received – all had a share and we were all supplied with – one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped! upon gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, grace – unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual bless- ing – and truth came through Jesus Christ. ” – John 1:16,17, Amplified Version

God’s Riches

It is God’s richness in grace which provided the plan for deliverance from disobedience, sin and death. Paul gave that truth prominent place in Ephesians for our close consideration.

‘He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His [God’s] grace. ” – Eph. 1:5-7 NASB

Without God’s grace, death would mean extinction for all members of the condemned intelligent creation. God has freely wrought His grace to our forgiveness and to our inheritance of eternal life. It was all in view from early time. God predestined sonship for all repentant trespassers who will avail themselves of His gracious provision of salvation.

Paul emphasized again to the Ephesians God’s promised riches of grace to the redeemed. “In order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches ofHis grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” – Eph. 2:7 NASB

Paul also used the delightful phrase, “the grace of God” early in Colossians. And again it seems to be another direct reference to Jesus. “You previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth.” – Col. 1:5,6 NASB

There was a time with each of us, as with the Colossians, when we did not know “the grace of God in truth.” They, perhaps as we, may have only heard of Jesus, knowing little about Him, His origin, His purpose, and the hope of the life that centers in Him. But a time came when we did know about God’s great grace. Such was the happy experience of those Colossians. Paul took their minds back to the time – when they heard, knew, and believed as truth the words about “the grace of God.” “In the word of truth, the gospel” … “since the day ye heard, and knew the grace of God in truth.” He mixed, merged and repeated words that pertain to salvation…truth, gospel, the grace of God, hearing. Again Paul intentionally put in focus the important aspects of salvation which are supplied through God’s riches by Christ Jesus our Lord, the living example of divine grace.

Quotations from King James Version except as indicated
RSV – Revised Standard Version
NASB-New American Standard Bible

ROMANS 8:26-29

Likewise the Holy Spirit also helps our infirmities:
For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:
But the Holy Spirit Himself makes intercession for us
with groaning which cannot be uttered. And God that
searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the
Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit makes intercession
for the saints according to the will of God. And we
know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to
His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son,
that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

INTRODUCTION

To understand prayer, we must become familiar with the
Holy Spirit. He was sent to minister and to administrate in the
capacity of an intercessor. He assists in spiritual management
of our relationship with God. Without His intercessory ministry,
it would be impossible to fulfill the commandment of our Lord as
He taught His disciples on the subject of prayer: “Your will be
done in earth as it is in Heaven.”1

CHAPTER 1

PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

In preparing His disciples for His ascension, our Lord
promised the provision of a Holy partnership which would occur
shortly after His departure.2 The “Comforter,” (Paraklete),
would be sent as The (One called along side). He, the
Holy Spirit, would parallel our lives; affording us oneness with
God through His ministries of comfort. He would be sent, not to
speak of Himself, but rather to glorify our Lord as well as to
guide us into all truth.3 This partnership with the Holy Spirit
would constitute a new and unique relationship with God hitherto
unknown to Believers for He would “dwell with us and in us.”4

PARTNERSHIP DEFINED
A confirmed partnership is first an association: (A closely
joining together or union of persons for a common purpose). We
enjoy an association with our Heavenly Father through partnership
with the Holy Spirit. We have been eternally joined together
with the Holy Spirit through the finished work of Christ upon the
cross. The purpose of our partnership with the Holy Spirit of
God is for spiritual unanimity and completeness through revealed
truth.
A second and necessary condition of partnership concerns
agreement. Such agreements encompass the exchange of promises
and the harmonizing of opinions and actions. These agreements
provide arrangement and mutuality. Often such partnerships
provide a common terminology, or language, to be employed to
assure understanding. Additionally, it is common for a written
document to be offered; stating the particulars of the
relationship.
We have such provisions through partnership with God as
administered by the Holy Spirit. He earnestly seeks to harmonize
our relationship with the Father through the promises found
within God’s Word. He arranges spiritual mutuality and even
provides a language of agreement, “groanings which cannot be
uttered,” to assure precise communication with God in our behalf.
We even possess a written document stating the particulars – THE
WORD OF GOD.

HELPER

I Have meditated on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, I recalled this
two are better than one.”
experience and realized that ” If in
our attempt to traverse the rails, we would have simply reached
across the empty space between us and grasped hands, we could
have shifted the point of balance equally; thus in harmony
negotiated a much greater distance.
The Greek word translated “helpeth” in Romans 8:26,
“Likewise the Holy Spirit also helpeth our infirmities,” means to
(take hold, together, against.) The ministry of the Holy Spirit
therefore is one of intercessory prayer which parallels our own.
It is interesting to compare the interpretation of “helpeth” with
the word translated “Comforter” in John’s gospel; (Paraklete.)
“Klete,” or (called), and “para,” (along side). Literally the
One who (parallels).
He is sent to parallel our prayers by providing counteracting
spiritual balance through intercession. In this way we can
achieve greater supernatural distance when we pray. Without His
help, we will fall time and time again; unable to maintain
continuity or direction when we pray.
It is additionally important to note that the Holy Spirit
“Helps our infirmities: For we know not what we should pray for
as we ought.” Our human inability to pray does not give us
license to neglect prayer. The Holy Spirit parallels, or takes
hold with us, as we pray. if we do not pray, He does not pray.
His ministry of intercession is engaged as we fellowship with
God. We must learn the importance of reaching out in partnership
with the Holy Spirit when petitioning God. We must learn to pray
in the Spirit.

LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
Partnerships are limited by the persons involved, the
promises made, and the purpose for which the partnership has been
established.

PERSONS INVOLVED
God has established partnership with us through the
Holy Spirit and He demonstrates definite interest in us:
“Likewise the Holy Spirit also helps our infirmities.” He
exhibits a willingness to intercede for us in every thing that we
face as believers since it is His nature as The Comforter. Many
businesses fail because of a lack of intimate knowledge of the
persons involved. How well do you know the Holy Spirit and do
you trust Him?

CREDIBILITY
For one to be trustworthy, he must possess credibility. His
credibility is only valid if his source is credible. The
Holy Spirit possesses such credibility as the third personage of
the Godhead.
There are numerous Scriptures which refer to the doctrine of
the Trinity; confirming the Holy Spirit’s place in the Godhead.
Our Lord commanded His disciples to go into all the world and to
preach the Gospel; “Baptizing them in the name of the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit.5” The Apostle Peter likewise made
reference to the Trinity on the day of Pentecost: “This Jesus
hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore
being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of
the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost He hath shed forth this,
which ye now see and hear.”6 The Apostle Paul also addressed
this doctrine when writing to the Galatians: “And because ye are
sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father.”7
When praying to Our Heavenly Father Therefore, we would do
well to always recall the Holy credibility of our partner in
prayer; the Holy Spirit, as God. This will always help us to be
acutely aware of the authority of the Holy Spirit as our
intercessor who has the power to effect answers to our prayers
since, He, the Holy Spirit, is God.

CHARACTER
The character of those persons in partnership is equally
important. Often the vice president of a corporation or the son
of an influential business man has credibility because of his
relationship to the source, but may himself fall short when it
comes to personal character. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand,
displays both character and credibility for He is not merely a
representative of God but is God.
In the genesis of the New Testament church, many converts
sold all they had and gave it to the church. Ananias and
Sapphira did likewise but withheld a portion of their earnings
for personal use. When their portion was laid before the Apostle
Peter, Peter spiritually discerned their indiscretion. He said
that, by doing so, they had lied to the Holy Ghost.8 Peter
then concluded his reprimand by saying: “Thou hast not lied unto
men, but unto God.”9 Peter clearly identified the Holy Spirit
as God; thus, as God, the Holy Spirit has the character of God.

THE HOLY GUEST
The Spirit of God is often referred to as the “Holy Ghost” in
New Testament Scriptures. The word “ghost” in this case was an
old English word supplied by the King James translators to
indicate a (guest.) In those days if one was invited for a meal,
a place was set at the table for that unseen guest. He was
referred to as a “ghost” because he was yet unseen. The
Holy Spirit is the (unseen invited guest) who comes to dwell in
us with the character of God; providing partnership in prayer.
He is the character of the Holiness of God for He is God’s nature
revealed through the personage and ministry of the Holy Spirit’s
occupation of the regenerated human spirit.

PROMISES OF PARTNERSHIP

Partnerships are ineffective without promises [agreements]
and our partnership with the Holy Spirit is no different. Our
text under study reveals at least three promises:
First, the Holy Spirit helpeth or (assists) us with our
infirmities. Secondly, since we often do not know what we should
pray for as we ought; He makes intercession for us or,
(actuates), prayers in our behalf with groanings which cannot be
uttered. Thirdly, He (agrees) with us in prayer concerning God’s
will because “He makes intercession for the saints according to
the will of God.”
These three promises, or agreements of partnership, produce
spiritual efficacy when we pray with the aid of the Holy Spirit.
We have the promise that He will assist us, which is to say, He
will provide aid and support when facing spiritual imbalance as
we pray. Additionally, we often experience indecisiveness and
uncertainty when in prayer and when this occurs, we have the
promise that the Holy Spirit will actuate, or incite supernatural
prayers in our behalf, through His intercessory groanings which
cannot be uttered. Finally, when seeking the will of God, we
have the promise of the Holy Spirit’s power of agreement with
God’s perfect will for our lives through the intimacy of
intercession. Exactly how this is performed will be discussed in
later chapters. It is important to recognize now, however, that
these promises connote spiritual force at work for us whenever we
pray. Thus the knowledge of these promises should inhabit our
thoughts whenever we commune with our Heavenly Father.

PURPOSE OF PARTNERSHIP

Every partnership has a purpose; else there is no need for
the relationship. Our purpose of partnership with the
Holy Spirit is likewise three-fold:
First, we need the (wisdom) of God. Verse (27) of our text
reports: “And God that searches the hearts knows what is the
mind of the Holy Spirit.” When God searches the heart, He is
looking for wisdom; wisdom which can only come from God through
the Holy Spirit as He ministers the Word of God.
The second purpose is to know the (will) of God: “The
Holy Spirit Himself makes intercession for the saints according
to the will of God.” Every Christian desires to “know God’s
will.” Partnership with the Holy Spirit provides such knowledge
as we pray in the Spirit, thus such prayer should not be over
looked or neglected.
The third purpose is found in verse (28): “And we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God.” For
this statement to be true and fully embraced by the believer, we
must know God’s (ways) to enable us to walk in obedience.
When entering God’s presence through prayer, we need always
be mindful of the purpose of our partnership with His
Holy Spirit. We certainly come before God in need of His wisdom;
thus to become more skillful in honoring Him. We need to know
His will and not our own. We also need to be capable of seeing
God’s ways as they work together for our benefit. Without such
acknowledgments of purpose, our prayers atrophy and our
relationship with the Holy Spirit will exacerbate. We must reach
out in partnership with the Holy Spirit when we pray; allowing
Him to parallel our prayers, that we may experience the spiritual
intimacy our Father desires to have with us. GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!!

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT.

“We do not know what we ought to pray for—the Spirit helps us in our weakness.”
(Romans 8:26)

“I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind” (1 Corinthians 14:15)

Prayer is a command of God, and is to be practiced both in public and in private; yes, such a command brings those that have the spirit of prayer, into great intimacy with God; and the prevailing prayer, will receive great things from God, both for the person that prayed, and for those that are prayed for. Prayer opens the heart of God, and is a means by which the empty soul is filled. By prayer the Christian can open his heart to God, as to a friend, and obtain fresh testimony of God’s friendship to him. My purpose today will be to show you the very heart of prayer, without which, all your lifting up, of hands, eyes, and voices, will be to no avail.

My outline will be as follows:

I. I will show you what true prayer is.

II. I will show you what it is to pray in the Spirit.

III. I will show what it is to pray with my spirit and with my mind.

IV. I will make application of what we have learned.

I. WHAT TRUE PRAYER IS

Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart and soul to God, through Christ, with the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to the Word, for the good of the church, with submission, in faith, to the will of God.

In this description are seven things that we need to consider:

1. Prayer is to be sincere.

Prayer is a sincere pouring out of the soul to God. Sincerity runs through all the graces of God in us, and influences all the actions of a Christian, or else our actions are not really from God. It is the same with prayer, as shown when David speaks about prayer, “I cried out to [the Lord] with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened [to my prayer]” (Psalm 66:17, 18). Part of the exercise of prayer is sincerity, without which God will not look upon it as prayer in its proper sense. God says in his Word, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). The lack of this sincerity made the Lord reject the prayers in Hosea 7:14, where he said, “They do not cry out to me from their hearts,” that is, in sincerity, “but wail upon their beds.” Their prayers were only a fake, a hypocritical show, only to be seen by men, and applauded by them.

And why must sincerity be one of the essential ingredients of prayer which is acceptable to God? Because sincerity causes the soul to open its heart to God, and to plainly tell him the situation, without rationalization; to clearly condemn itself, without deceit; to cry out to God as a friend, without flattery. Sincerity is the same no matter if you are praying alone in a closet, or before the face of the world. The sincere praying Christian does not know how to wear two masks, one before men, and another in the closet; rather it must have God, and be honest with him in prayer. God will not listen to lip service, for God looks at the heart, and listens only to prayer which is accompanied with sincerity.

2. Prayer is to make sense.

It is a sincere and rational pouring out of the heart or soul. It is not, as many take it to be, a few babbling, verbose, flattering expressions, but rather, a sensible utterance of the heart. Prayer has in it a reasonable understanding of different things; for example, sometimes the sense of sin, and sometimes an understanding of mercy received.

A. Sometimes it is an awareness of the need of mercy, because of the danger of sin.

Effective prayer bubbles out of the heart when it is overcome with grief and anguish. David experienced this, saying that he was “feeble and utterly crushed; groaning in anguish of heart, his heart was pounding, his strength failed him; even the light was gone from his eyes” (Psalm 38:8-10). The Lord heard Ephraim’s moaning (Jeremiah 31:18). Peter weeps bitterly (Matthew 26:75). Christ “offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears” (Hebrews 5:7). And all of this came from a sense of the justice of God, the guilt of sin, the pains of hell and God’s wrath. The Psalmist said, “The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD” (Psalm 116:4). In all these instances, and in hundreds more that might be named, you will see that prayer carried with it a reasonable understanding of the situation, and that coming from a sense of sin.

B. Sometimes in prayer, there is a sweet sense of mercy received; encouraging, comforting, strengthening, and instructive mercy,

Thus David pours out his soul, to bless, and praise, and admire the great God for his loving-kindness to such poor vile wretches. “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalms 103:1-5). And we can see that sometimes the prayer of saints are turned into praise and thanksgiving, and yet they are still prayers. This is a mystery; God’s people pray with their praises, as it is written, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). A conscious thanksgiving, for mercies received, is a mighty prayer in the sight of God; and it has a great influence on His actions.

A good sense of sin, and the wrath of God, with some encouragement from God to come to him, is a better prayer-book than that which is taken out of the Roman Catholic mass-book, which are nothing but the scraps and fragments of the inventions of some popes, monks, and who knows what else.

3. Prayer is to be an affectionate pouring out of the soul to God, through Christ.

O! the heat, strength, life, vigor, and affection, that is in the right kind of prayer! “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God” (Psalm 42:1). “How I long for your precepts” (Psalm 119:40). “I long for your salvation” (Psalms 119:17). “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” (Psalm 84:2) “My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.” (Psalm 119:20). Note in these verses that I just quoted how the Psalmist’s, “pants, yearns, and is consumed,” for God and his Word. O what affection is revealed here in prayer!

Again, it is a pouring out of the heart and soul. There is in prayer a disclosure of a man’s inner self, an opening of the heart to God, an affectionate outpouring of the soul in requests, sighs, and groans. “All my longings lie open before you,” said David, and “my sighing is not hidden from you” (Psalm 38:9).” And again, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? These things I remember as I pour out my soul” (Psalm 42:2, 4). Note, “I pour out my soul.” It is an expression signifying, that in prayer the very life and entire strength is poured out to God. And in another place, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him” (Psalm 62:8). This is the kind of prayer to which the promise is made, for the delivering of a poor creature out of captivity and bondage. “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

Again, it is a pouring out of the heart and soul TO GOD. This also shows the excellency of the spirit of prayer. It is the great and holy God that prayer is addressed to. “When can I go and meet with God?” And it argues, that the soul which prays in this manner, sees an emptiness in everything under heaven; that in God alone there is rest and satisfaction for the soul. “The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help” (1 Timothy 5:5). David said, “In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men. For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth” (Psalm 71:1-5).

Many speak to God with lots of empty words; but the right kind of prayer makes God his hope, rest, and his all in all. The right kind of prayer sees nothing more important, nor worth looking after, but God.

Again, it is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart and soul to God, THROUGH CHRIST. We must add that prayer must come through Christ, or else it is to be questioned, whether it really is a prayer, even though it may appear so lofty and eloquent.

Christ is the way through whom the soul has admittance to God the Father, and without Christ it is impossible that even one prayer request would be heard by our Heavenly Father (John 14:6). Jesus said, “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13, 14). This was Daniel’s way in praying for the people of God; he did it in the name of Christ. Listen, “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary” (Daniel 9:17). Likewise, David prayed, “For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great” (Psalm 25:11).

But note this, it is not every one that makes mention of Christ’s name in prayer, that truly prays to God in the name of Christ. This coming to God through Christ is the hardest part of prayer. A man may be aware of his deeds, and sincerely desire mercy, and yet not be able to come to God through Christ. That man that comes to God by Christ, must first have a knowledge of Christ; “because anyone who comes to [Christ] must believe that he exists” (Hebrews 11:6). And so he that comes to God through Christ, must know Christ. Moses said to the Lord, “teach me your ways so I may know you” (Exodus 33:13).

4. Prayer is to be by the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit.

These things are so dependent on one another, that it is impossible that one could have an acceptable prayer, without all of these things working together; without these things, it is only a prayer that will be rejected by God. For without a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart to God, it is nothing but lip-service; and if it is not through Christ, then it falls far short of ever sounding acceptable in God’s ears. In the same way, if it is not prayed in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, then it is the same as the sons of Aaron, presenting an offering with unauthorized fire (Leviticus 10:1, 2). Any prayer which is not petitioned through the teaching and assistance of the Holy Spirit, cannot possibly be “according to the will of God (Romans 8:26, 27).

5. Prayer is to be for things that God has promised.

It is prayer when it is within the compass of God’s Word; and it is blasphemy, or at best vain babbling, when the petition is for things outside of God’s Holy Book. David, when he prayed, kept his eye on the Word of God, “I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word” (Psalm 119:25). And again, “My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word” (Psalm 119:28; see also 41, 42, 58, 65, 74, 81, 82, 107, 147, 154, 169, 170). And, “Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope” (Psalm 119:49). And surely the Holy Spirit does not immediately stir up the heart of the Christian without the Word of God, rather it is by, and with, and through the Word, by bringing it to the heart, and by opening the sinful heart, whereby the man is provoked to go to the Lord, and to tell him how it is with him, and also to plead, and supplicate, according to the Word.

So I say, as the Spirit is the helper and the governor of the soul, when it prays according to the will of God; so it is guided by and according to, the Word of God and his promise. Therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ himself did not pray except in accordance with the Word, even though his life was at stake. He said, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matthew 26:53, 54). In other words, Jesus was saying, “Were there only a word for it in the scripture, I would soon be out of the hands of my enemies, I would be helped by angels; but the scripture will not warrant this kind of praying, for that says otherwise. It is praying then according to the Word of God. The Spirit by the Word must direct, both in the manner, and the matter of prayer. “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind (1 Corinthians 14:15). There is no understanding without the Word. For if they reject the word of the Lord, “what kind of wisdom do they have?” (Jeremiah 8:9)

6. Prayer is to be for the good of the church.

This means that the prayer must be for the honor to God, or Christ’s advancement, or his people’s benefit. For God, and Christ, and his people are so linked together that if the good of the one be prayed for, then the church, the glory of God, and advancement of Christ, must also be included. For as Christ is in the Father, so the saints are in Christ; and he that touches the saints, touches the apple of God’s eye. He that prays for the peace and good of the church, does, in fact, ask in that prayer that which Christ has purchased with his blood; and also that which the Father has given to him for paying that price. Now he that prays for this, must pray for abundance of grace for the church, for help against all its temptations; that God would let nothing be too difficult for it; and that all things might work together for its good, that God would keep them blameless and harmless, the sons of God, to his glory, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.

7. And prayer must submit to the will of God.

As Christ has taught us, prayer must say, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10); therefore the people of the Lord in humility are to lay themselves and their prayers, and all that they have, at the feet of their God, to be disposed of by him as he in his heavenly wisdom sees best. And never doubting that God will answer the desire of his people in a way that will be most advantageous for them and for his glory. Therefore when the saints pray with submission to the will of God, they are not to doubt or question God’s love and kindness to them. But because they are not always wise, and sometimes Satan may take advantage of them, so as to tempt them to pray for that which, if they had it, would neither be to God’s glory nor for his people’s good. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14, 15). For, as I said before, that petition that is not prayed in and through the Spirit, will not be answered, because it is outside the will of God. For only the Spirit knows the will of God, and therefore only he knows how to pray according to the will of God. “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). But more of this later. Thus we have seen what prayer is.

II. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH MY SPIRIT

1. I will pray with my spirit.

There is no man nor church in the world that can come to God in prayer, but by the assistance of the Holy Spirit. “For through Christ we have access to the Father by one Spirit” (Ephesians 2:18). Therefore Paul said, “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Romans 8:26, 27). And because there is in this scripture a complete discovery of the spirit of prayer, and of man’s inability to pray without it; therefore I will in a few words comment on it.

“We.” Consider the person speaking, Paul, an apostle, the extraordinary elder, the wise master-builder, he that was taken up into paradise (2 Cor 12:4). “We do not know what we ought to pray for.” Surely everyone will admit, that Paul and his fellow apostles were able to have done any mighty work for God, yet, he says, “We do not know what we ought to pray for,” without the help and the assistance of the Spirit. Should we pray for communion with God through Christ? Should we pray for faith, for justification by grace, and a truly sanctified heart? We do not know the answer to any of these things. “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11).

“We do not know what we ought to pray for.” Paul said, we must pray as we ought; and this we cannot do by the skill, and cunning devices of men or angels. “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit”; no, it must be “the Spirit HIMSELF” that helps us in our weakness; not the Spirit and man’s lusts. What man’s own brain may imagine and devise, is one thing, and what they are commanded, and ought to do, is another. Many ask and do not receive, because they ask with wrong motives; and so they never enjoy those things they pray for (James 4:3). While we are praying, God is searching the heart, examining our motives and spirit (1 John 5:14). “And he who searches our hearts knows,” that is, approves only, what is agreeable to, “the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” (Romans 8:27) For he only hears that which is in accordance with his will, and nothing else. And it is only the Spirit that can teach us what to ask; only the Spirit is able to search every thing out, even the deep things of God.

Without the Holy Spirit, though we pray a thousand different prayers, yet we would be unable to know what to pray for, because we have a built-in weakness that makes us absolutely incapable of praying correctly. These weaknesses within us, although it is difficult to name them all, yet the following are eight key weaknesses which prevent effective praying.

Weakness #1 – Not having the Holy Spirit within us.

Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, man is so weak that he cannot think one right saving thought of God, of Christ, or of his blessed things; and therefore the Word of God declares about the man without the Spirit, “In all his thoughts there is no room for God” (Psalm 10:4); unless it is that they imagine God to be basically like one of them (Psalm 50:21). For “every inclination of the thoughts of [unsaved man’s] heart is only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5; 8:21). Thus, since unbelievers are not able to correctly conceive who God is, the very God to whom they pray, the Christ through whom they pray, nor of the things for which they pray, as was shown before, then how will they be able to address themselves to God, without the help of the Holy Spirit?

The acceptable prayer to God must, in the outward expression, and as well in the inward intention, come from what the soul understands by the illumination of the Holy Spirit; otherwise the prayer is condemned as a vain abomination, because the heart and tongue do not agree, neither can they, unless the Spirit help us in our weakness (Mark 7; Proverbs 28:9; Isaiah 29:13). And David knew this full well, which caused him to cry out, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise” (Psalm 51:15). I suppose no one would doubt that David could speak and express himself as well as any one in our generation, as is clearly manifested by his words recorded in the Scriptures. Nevertheless when this good man, this prophet, comes to worship God, then the Lord must help him too, or he can do nothing. “O Lord, open my lips,” and then “my mouth will declare your praise.” He could not speak one proper word, unless the Spirit gives him the utterance. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for.

Weakness #2 – Not praying with the Spirit.

We may have the Holy Spirit within us, but if we do not pray with the Spirit, then we are senseless, hypocritical, and cold, and both we and our prayers are abominable to God (Matthew 23:14; Mark 12:40; Luke 18:11, 12; Isaiah 58:2, 3). It is not the quality of the voice, nor the apparent affection, and earnestness of him that prays, that means anything to God. For man, as man, is so full of all kinds of wickedness, that he cannot keep a word, or thought, much less a part of a prayer pure, and acceptable to God through Christ; and because of this the Pharisees, and their lengthy prayers, were rejected. There is no question that they expressed themselves with excellent words, and also said long prayers; but they did not have the Holy Spirit to help them, and therefore in their weakness they fell short of a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of their souls to God, through the strength of the Spirit.

Weakness #3 – Not being aware of our unconfessed sins.

No one but the Holy Spirit can clearly show a person their sins, and therefore cause them to have the proper attitude of prayer. Without an clear sense of the sin of our hearts then our prayers are nothing but “lip-service” to God. O the cursed hypocrisy that is in most hearts, and that accompanies many thousands of praying men and women today, and all because they lack a sense of their sin! But now the Spirit, will sweetly show the soul its sinful state, and exactly the areas where the sin exists, and what is likely to be the consquence of that sin if it remains unconfessed, and also that it is an intolerable condition. For it is the Spirit that effectually convinces men and women of their sin and misery, and therefore causes the soul to pray in a pure, discerning, and tender way to God according to his word (John 16:7-9).

Weakness #4 – Seeing our sins and being unable to pray.

Even if men and women are aware of their sins, yet without the help of the Holy Spirit they would not pray. For they would run away from God, with Cain and Judas, and utterly despair of mercy, were it not for the Spirit. When a man is aware of his sin, and God’s curse on it, then it is very difficult to persuade him to pray; for, his heart says, “It’s no use,” it is in vain to seek God (Jeremiah 2:25; 18:12). I am so vile, so wretched, and so cursed, that I will never be forgiven! Now here comes the Spirit, and calms the soul, helping it to hold up its face to God, by letting into the heart some small sense of mercy to encourage it to go to God, and for that reason the Holy Spirit is called “the Counselor” (John 14:26).

Weakness #5 – Not knowing how to come to God—His way.

In order to pray we must be in the Spirit; for without that no man can know how to come to God the right way. Men may easily say they come to God through his Son: but without being in the Spirit, it is impossible to come to God the right way—his way. It is “the Spirit” that “searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). It is the Spirit that must show us the way of coming to God, and also what there is in God that makes him desirable: Moses said, “Teach me your ways so I may know you” (Exodus 33:13).

Weakness #6 – Being unable to call God our “Father.”

Without the Holy Spirit, though a man sees his misery, and also the way to come to God; yet he would never be able to claim a share in either God, Christ, or mercy, because God would not allow him. O how great a task it is, for a lost soul that becomes aware of his sin and the wrath of God, to say in faith, this one word, “Father!” I tell you, even the Christian finds difficulty in this very thing, it cannot say God is its Father. “O!” he says, “I dare not call him Father”; and therefore the Holy Spirit must be sent into the hearts of God’s people for this very reason, to cry “Father”: for without the Spirit it would be too difficult for any man to knowingly and believingly call God his Father (Galatians 4:6).

When I say knowingly, I mean, knowing what it is to be a child of God, and to be born again. And when I say believingly, I mean, for the soul to believe, and that from experience, that the work of grace is completed in him. This is the right way to call God, our Father; and not as many do, by saying it in a babbling way, the Lord’s prayer (so called) from memory, just as it is written in the words of a book. No, here is the life of prayer, when with the Spirit, a man being made aware of his sin, and how to come to the Lord for mercy; comes in the strength of the Spirit, and cries out “Father.” That one word spoken in faith, is better than a thousand prayers, as men call them, written and read, in a formal, cold, or lukewarm way. Many people think it is enough to teach themselves and their children to say the Lord’s prayer, the creed, and other sayings; when, in reality, God knows, they are senseless of themselves, their misery, or what it is to be brought to God through Christ! Oh, poor soul! Study your misery, and cry to God to show you your blindness and ignorance, before you get into the habit of calling God your Father, or teaching your children to do so. And know this, that to say God is your Father, without any work of grace in your souls, is to say you are Christians when you are not, therefore you lie to God.
You say, “Our Father”; God says, “You blasphemer!” You say I am “a true Christian”; God says, “You are a liar!” “You are of the synagogue of Satan, you who claim to be a Jew though you are not, you are a liar” (Revelation 3:9). “I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9). And the more the sinner hypocritically boasts of God being his Father, then so much greater is his sin. The Jews did this to Christ, in the 8th chapter of John, which made Christ, even in plain terms, to tell them of their doom, because of all their hypocritical pretences (John 8:41-45). And even today, prostitutes, thieves, drunkards, blasphemers, and liars; are considered by some to honest people because with their blasphemous throats, and hypocritical hearts, they will come to church, and say, “Our Father!” But because they obey the “traditions” of their religions saying the “Our Father” over and over, they are considered to be members in good-standing in their church, while God’s true children are, as it has always been, looked upon to be a troublesome, opposing, and dissident people (Ezra 4:12-16).

Weakness #7 – Being unable to keep our “heart” in our prayers.

Just as the heart must be lifted up by the Spirit in order to pray acceptable prayers to God , so also it the heart must be held up by the Spirit, if it is to continue to pray correctly. It is impossible that all the prayer-books, that men have made in the world, can lift up, keep up, or prepare the heart; for that is the work of the God himself. And truly here is the life of prayer, to keep the heart devoted to God while praying. We see in the Book of Exodus that it was very difficult for Moses to keep his hands lifted up to God in prayer; likewise, it is difficult to keep the heart in our prayers! (Exodus 17:12).

The lack of this heart in prayer is that which God complains of, when He says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men” (Isaiah 29:13). And truly I can speak of my own experience; I can tell you the difficulty I have of praying to God as I should. For, when I go to pray, I find my heart hates to go to God, and when it is with him, it hates to stay with him. Many times I am forced in my prayers, first to beg God that he would take my heart, and set it on himself in Christ, and when it is there, that he would keep it there. Many times I do not know what to pray for, I am so blind, nor do I know how to pray, I am so ignorant, but praise God’s grace: the Holy Spirit can help us in our weakness in prayer (Psalm 86:11).

Weakness #8 – Praying without the help and strength of the Spirit.

It is impossible for the heart to pour itself out before God, with those groans and sighs that come from a truly praying heart, without the assistance of the Spirit. It is not the mouth that is the main thing to be looked at in prayer, rather one needs to look at the heart and see if is full of love and earnestness in prayer to God. There are times when the desires of a man’s heart are so great, that all the words, tears, and groans that can come from the heart, cannot be uttered by his mouth: It is then that “The Spirit helps us in our weakness—and intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26).

We must pray with the Spirit, or else our prayers will fail. Prayer is a mandate from God, that must continue with a soul so long as it is on this side of glory. But, as I said before, it is not possible for a man to turn his heart to God in prayer; likewise it is just as difficult to keep it there, without the assistance of the Spirit. Therefore, for a man to continually be in prayer with God, it must of necessity be with the Spirit.

III. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH MY SPIRIT, AND WITH MY MIND.

The apostle makes a clear distinction between praying with our spirit, and praying with our minds: therefore when he said, “I will pray with my spirit,” he also adds, but I will also pray with my mind.” This distinction was made because the Corinthians did not realize that it was their duty, when they spoke in tongues, to edify others and not to simply edify themselves. It appears that many of them had extraordinary gifts, one being the ability to speak in different known languages, but they focused on these mighty gifts, edifying themselves, rather than edifying the church; which caused Paul to write to them, to make them understand, that though extraordinary gifts were excellent, yet it was more important to edify the church. For, the apostle said, “If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind [and the minds of those listening] is unfruitful” (1 Corinthians 14:3, 4, 12, 19, 24, 25. Read the scope of the whole chapter). Therefore, “What shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind” (1 Corinthians 14:15).

It is necessary then that the mind should be involved in prayer, as well as the heart and mouth. That which is done with the mind, is done more effectually, sensibly, and heartily, than that which is done without it; which made the apostle pray for the Colossians, that God would fill them “with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9). And for the Ephesians, that God would give them “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that [they] may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17). And also for the Philippians, that God would make their love abound “more and more in knowledge and depth of insight” (Philippians 1:9). A suitable understanding is good in everything a man undertakes, either secular or spiritual; and therefore it must be desired by all Christians that they would be a praying people. I will now show you what it is to pray with your mind.

In order for God to accept our prayers, there must be a spiritual understanding in all those who pray to God.

1. To pray with our minds, is to be guided by the Holy Spirit to pray with an understanding of the need of those things which the soul is to pray for.

Though a man is desperately in need for forgiveness of sin, and deliverance from the wrath to come, yet if he does not understand this, he will either not pray these things at all, or else be so cold and lukewarm when he asks for forgiveness and deliverance, that God will detest the attitude of his heart when he asks for them. Thus it was with the church of the Laodiceans, they wanted knowledge or spiritual understanding; yet they did not know that they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Because of their condition and all of their empty prayers, they were detestable to Christ, so much so that he threatens to spit them out of his mouth (Revelation 3:16, 17). Men who pray without their minds engaged may say the same words in prayer as others do; but there is a great difference in effectiveness of the prayers! The one speaking with his mind engaged brings understanding to his words, but the other person who prays without an understanding of what he is saying is only babbling words.

2. To pray with our minds will cause the heart of God to be ready and willing to give those things to the soul that it needs.

David prayed with his mind and therefore could surmise the very thoughts of God towards him (Psalm 40:5). And so it was with the Canaanite woman; by her faith and the understanding in her mind, she was able to discern, that although Christ was refusing her initial requests to help her demon-possessed daughter, there was a tenderness and willingness in his heart to save, which caused her to be vehement and earnest, yes, restless, until she received the mercy she needed for her daughter (Matthew 15:22-28).

A proper understanding in our minds, of the willingness of the heart of God to save sinners, will be the primary motive for the soul to seek after God, and to cry out for forgiveness. If a man should see a pearl worth thousands of dollars lying in a ditch, and yet did not understand the value of it, he would most likely pass it by: but if he knew in his mind its true value, then he would climb down into the filth of the ditch to acquire it. So it is with souls concerning the things of God: once a man understands their value, then his heart, and the very strength of his soul, will run after them, and he will never stop praying for them until he has them. The two blind men in the gospel, clearly knew that Jesus, who was going by them, was both willing and able to heal their blindness: therefore they cried out, and the more they were rebuked, the more they cried out (Matthew 20:29-31).

3. To pray with our minds allows us to clearly see God’s promises, which is a great encouragement to pray.

The enlightened understanding sees the magnitude of God’s promises and is therefore encouraged to pray. It is like men who make great promises to do such and such to all that will come and ask for them, it is great encouragement to those that know what promises are made, to come and ask for them.

4. To pray with our minds enables us to present to God suitable arguments to justify our requests.

Once our minds are enlightened by the Spirit, then the way is made for the soul to come to God with suitable arguments, sometimes in a way of reasoning with God, as Jacob did in the 32^nd chapter of Genesis (Genesis 32:9). Sometimes in the way we verbally petition God, yet not always in a verbal way only, but even from the heart there is forced by the Spirit, through the mind, effective arguments that move the heart of God.

Our example is Ephraim who gets a clear understanding of his own sin towards the Lord, then he begins to express sorrow for his sins (Jeremiah 31:18-20). And in his expression of sorrow, he used various arguments with the Lord, that affected his heart, draws out forgiveness, and makes Ephraim pleasant in his eyes through Jesus Christ our Lord: God said, “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning [to me] saying, ‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are the LORD my God. After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth’ ” (Jeremiah 31:19). These are Ephraim’s complaints and expressions of sorrow; at which the Lord breaks forth into these heart-melting expressions, saying, “‘Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,’ declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 31:18-20).

5. To pray with our minds enables us to see our needs and therefore what type of prayer we should pray.

Praying with our mind enables us to be aware of the feelings, and pressures that lie heavy on our spirit, provoking us to groan out our request to the Lord. When David felt the “cords of death entangle [him], and the anguish of the grave coming upon [him],” he did not need a bishop dressed in a fancy robe to teach him to say, “O Lord, save me!” (Psalm 116:3, 4). Nor did he need to look into a book, to teach him a form of a prayer to pour out before God. It is the nature of the heart of sick men, in their pain and sickness, to express itself for comfort, by sorrowful groans and moanings to those who are near them. Thus it was with David, in Psalm 38:1-12. And thus, blessed be the Lord, it is with them that are endowed with the grace of God.

6. To pray with our minds will keep us praying continually.

It is necessary that there be an enlightened understanding in our minds for us to see the need to continue in prayer.

The people of God are not ignorant of the many schemes, tricks, and temptations the devil has to tempt a Christian, who is truly willing to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, yes, to tempt that very sincere soul to be weary of seeking the face of God, and to think that God is not willing to have mercy on such a person as he. “Yes,” says Satan, “you may truly pray, but you will not prevail. You see your heart is hard, cold, dull, and fearful; you do not pray with the Spirit, you are not sincere in your prayers, your thoughts are running after other things, when you pretend to pray to God. Away with you, you hypocrite, go no further, it is vain to strive any longer!” Oh, if the soul is not praying with its mind, then it will soon cry out, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me” (Isaiah 49:14). Whereas, the soul that is praying with his mind and enlightened by the Spirit, will say, “I will seek the Lord, and wait; I will not stop, though the Lord remains silent, and does not speak one word of comfort” (Isa 40:27). The Lord loved Jacob dearly, and yet he made him wrestle before he gave him the blessing (Genesis 32:25-27). Apparent delays in our prayers being answered by God are not signs of his displeasure; he may hide his face from his dearest saints (Isaiah 8:17). He loves to keep his people praying, and to find them ever knocking at the gate of heaven; it may be, says the soul, that the Lord is testing me, or that he loves to hear me groan out my condition before him.

Oh, how many souls are there in the world, that truly fear the Lord, who, because they are not well informed in their minds, are often ready to give up hope, at almost every trick and temptation of Satan! The Lord pity them, and help them to “pray with their spirit, and also with their minds.”

In my own life, when I have been in the agony of spirit, I have been strongly persuaded to stop praying, and to seek the Lord no longer; but being made to understand in my mind, what great sinners the Lord has had mercy on, and how great are his promises to sinners; and that it was not the well person, but the sick, not the righteous, but the sinner, not the full, but the empty, that he extended his grace and mercy to. This made me, through the assistance of his Holy Spirit, to cleave to him, to hang on him, and still to cry out, though for the present he did not answer.

Thus have I briefly showed you, FIRST, What prayer is; SECOND, What it is to pray with the Spirit; and THIRDLY, What it is to pray with my spirit, and also with my mind.

IV. Application of what we have learned.

I will now speak a word or two of application, and so conclude with, First, A word of wisdom; Second, A word of encouragement; Third, A word of rebuke.

Application #1 – A word of wisdom.

First be wise and know; that prayer is the duty of every one of the children of God, and carried on by the Spirit of Christ in the soul; so every one that prays to the Lord, needs to be very careful, and be sure to pray in his heart with a fear of God, as well as with hopes of the mercy of God through Jesus Christ.

Prayer is a command of God, in which a man draws very near to God; and therefore it especially calls for the assistance of the grace of God to help the soul to pray as is fitting for one that is in the very presence of the Almighty God. It is a shame for a man to behave irreverently before a king, but it is a sin to do so before God. And just as an earthly king is not pleased with an speech made up with inappropriate words and gestures, so God takes no pleasure in the sacrifice of fools (Ecclesiastes 5:1, 4). It is not long discourses, nor eloquent tongues, that are the things which are pleasing to the ears of the Lord; rather it is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, that is pleasing to the heavenly Majesty (Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 57:15). Therefore, be wise and know that there are four things that are obstructions to prayer, and even make void the requests of the creature:

First Obstruction to Prayer – When we cherish sin in our hearts.

“When men cherish sin in their hearts,” at the time of their prayers before God, “then the Lord will not listen” to their prayer (Psalm 66:18). The Lord will not listen to the prayer when there is a secret love for that very thing which you with your deceitful lips ask for strength against. For this is the wickedness of man’s heart, that it will even love, and hold tightly to that which the mouth is praying against! And when we do this, then we become the same as those who honor God with their mouths, but whose hearts are far from him (Isaiah 29:13; Ezekiel 33:31).

Second Obstruction to Prayer – When we pray only to be heard by others.

When men pray with the sole purpose to be heard by others, so as to be considered someone very religious, then these prayers will fall far short of God’s approval, and will never be answered.

There are two sorts of men that pray this way:

(1.) Private chaplains, that thrust themselves into great men’s families, pretending the worship of God, when in truth their motive is their own stomachs; and are clearly pictured by Ahab’s prophets, and also Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men, who, though they pretended great devotion, yet their lusts and their stomachs were the great things aimed at by them in all their devotions.

(2.) Those that seek honor and applause for their eloquent terms, and seek more to tickle the ears and heads of their hearers than anything else. These are they that pray to be heard of men, and have received all their reward already (Matthew 6:5). These persons are easily discovered because:

(a.) They focus only on the eloquence of their expressions.

(b.) They look for commendation when they are done.

(c.) Their hearts either rise or fall according to their praise received.

(d.) The length of their prayer pleases them; and to make it long, they will vainly repeat things over and over (Matthew 6:7).

Third Obstruction to Prayer – When we pray for the wrong things.

A prayer that will not be accepted by God, is when men either pray for wrong things, or if for the right things, yet that the thing prayed for might be spent on their lusts. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:2-4). When we pray for something contrary to God’s will then God will frustrate the petitions presented before him. Therefore, many pray for this and that, and yet do not receive it. God answers them only with silence; they have their words for their labor; and that is all.

Objection – But God hears some persons, though their hearts are not right with him, as he did Israel, in giving quails, though they spent them on their lusts (Psalm 106:14).

Answer – If he does, it is in judgment, not in mercy. Indeed, he gave them what they asked for, but they would have been better off without it, for he also “sent a wasting disease upon them.” (Psalm 106:15). Woe be to that man that God answers in this manner.

Fourth Obstruction to Prayer – Not asking in the Name of Christ.

Another type of prayers that are not answered, are those that are made by men, and presented to God in their own persons, without asking in the name of Christ. It is true that God has ordained prayer, and promised to hear the prayers of men and women, yet not the prayer that fails to come through Christ. Jesus said “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father” (John 14:13). The Apostle Paul said, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Even though you may be devout, zealous, earnest and constant in prayer, yet it is only in Christ that you will be heard and accepted. But, I am sorry to say, that most men do not know what it means to come to God in the name of the Lord Jesus, which is because they live wicked, pray wicked, and also die wicked.

Application #2 – A word of encouragement.

I want to encourage the poor, tempted, and discouraged soul, to pray to God through Christ. Though all prayer that is acceptable to God must be in the Spirit—for only the Spirit makes intercession for us according to the will of God, (Rom 8:27)—yet because many poor souls may have the Holy Spirit working on them, and stirring them to cry out to the Lord for mercy, though through unbelief they do not, nor, for the present, cannot believe that they are the people of God, yet I encourage them to pray. Note carefully the following three encouragements to pray:

Encouragement #1 – God answers persistent prayers.

That scripture in Luke 11:8 is very encouraging to any poor soul that hungers after Christ Jesus. In verses 5-7, he speaks a parable of a man that went to his friend to borrow three loaves of bread, but because his friend was in bed he denied his request. Yet the man who needed the bread kept knocking, and finally his friend did arise and give him what he wanted, clearly signifying that though poor souls, through the weakness of their faith, cannot see that they are the friends of God, yet they should never stop asking, seeking, and knocking at God’s door for mercy. Note, what Christ said, “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness,” or persistence, “he will get up and give him as much as he needs” (Luke 11:8)

Poor heart! you feel that God will not pay attention to you, you are not his friend, but rather his enemy in your heart because of your wicked deeds (Colossians 1:21). And you claim that you can hear the Lord saying to you, “Don’t bother me. I can’t give you anything”; yet I say, continue knocking, crying, and moaning. I tell you, “though he will not get up and give you what you want because you are his friend, yet because of your boldness [in your persistence] he will get up and give you as much as you need.” And truly, my own experience tells me, that there is nothing that prevails more with God than persistence.

Encouragement #2 – That God is sitting on a “Throne of Grace”

Another encouragement for a poor trembling soul is to consider the place, throne, or seat, on which the great God has placed himself to hear the petitions and prayers of poor creatures; and that is a “throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). Which signifies that in these days of gospel grace, God has taken up his seat, his abiding-place, in mercy and forgiveness; and from there he listens to the sinner, and communes with him, as he said (Exodus 25:22),—speaking before his place of mercy—”I will meet with you.” Often, poor troubled souls are very apt to entertain strange thoughts of God, and his attitude towards them: and suddenly they conclude that God will not care for them, when in fact, he is sitting on a throne of mercy, and has taken that place on purpose, so that he may hear and answer the prayers of poor creatures. If he had said, I will commune with you from my throne of judgment, then indeed you might have trembled and fled from the face of the great and glorious Majesty. But when he said he will hear and commune with souls from the throne of grace, this should encourage you, and cause you to hope, yes, to “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that you may receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)

Encouragement #3 – God’s “Throne of Grace” is sprinked with the “Blood of Christ”

Just as there is a “Throne of Grace” from where God is willing to commune with poor sinners; so there is also next to his throne, Jesus Christ, who continually sprinkles it with his blood. Therefore it is called “the sprinkled blood” (Hebrews 12:24). When the high-priest under the law was to go into the Most Holy Place, where the seat of God’s mercy was, he could not go in “without blood” (Hebrews 9:7).

Why? Because, though God was on sitting on a seat of mercy, yet he was perfectly just as well as merciful. Now the blood was to stop justice from being poured out upon the persons needing the intercession of the high-priest, (as in Leviticus 16:13-17), to signify that all your unworthiness that you fear, should not hinder you from coming to God in Christ for mercy. You cry out that you are wicked, and therefore God will not listen to your prayers; it is true, if you delight in your wickedness, and come to God out of a mere pretence. But if from a sense of your wickedness you pour out your heart to God, desiring to be saved from the guilt, and cleansed from the filth, with all your heart; then do not fear, your wickedness will not cause the Lord to stop listening to you. The value of the blood of Christ which is sprinkled on the place of God’s mercy stops the course of justice, and opens a floodgate for the mercy of the Lord to be extended to you. You therefore have, the “confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us” (Hebrews 10:20).

Besides, Jesus is there, not only to sprinkle the place of mercy with his blood, but he speaks, and his blood speaks; and God has said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you” (Exodus 12:13).

Be earnest and humble; go to the Father in the name of the Son, and tell him your case, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and you will then feel the benefit of praying with your spirit and also with your mind.

Application #3 – A word of reproof

I sadly speak to you who never pray at all. You are not a Christian if you are not a praying person. The promise is that every one that is godly will pray (Psa 32:6). You then are a wicked miserable creature that does not pray. People that forget prayer, that do not call on the name of the Lord, they have a prayer prayed against them, Jeremiah prayed, “Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name” (Jeremiah 10:25).

O you that refuse to pour out your heart to God, you that go to bed like a dog, and rise like a hog, and forget to call upon God? What will you do when you will be damned in hell, because you could not find it in your heart to ask God for heaven? Who will grieve for your sorrow, since you did not think mercy was worth asking for? I tell you, the ravens, the dogs, and other animals, will rise up in judgment against you, for they, according to their kind, make signs, and a noise for something to refresh them when they need it; but you have not found it in your heart to ask for heaven, and now you must perish eternally in hell, because you would not pray.

Must the holy, harmless, and undefiled Spirit of grace, the very nature of God, the promise of Christ, the Counselor of his children, that without which no man can do any service acceptable to the Father—must this Holy Spirit, be taunted and mocked by you? If God sent Korah and his entire family headlong into hell for speaking against Moses and Aaron, do you think that you can mock the Spirit of Christ and escape unpunished? (Numbers 16; Hebrews 10:29). Did you never read what God did to Ananias and Sapphira for telling just one lie against the Holy Spirit? (Acts 5:1-8). Also, are you aware what happen to Simon Magus for undervaluing the Holy Spirit? (Acts 8:18-22). It is a fearful thing to defy the Spirit of grace (Compare Matthew 12:31, with Mark 3:28-30).

THE CONCLUSION

I will conclude this message with some words of advice to all God’s people:

1. Believe that if you seek to walk in a way pleasing to God, then you will meet with many
temptations from the evil one.

2. The first day that you enter into Christ’s congregation, watch out for the temptations.

3. When the temptations come, beg God to carry you through them.

4. Be suspicious of your own heart, that it does not deceive you into thinking that you are more holy than you are.

5. Beware of the flatteries of false brethren.

6. Walk continually in the Word—the life and power of truth.

7. Fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

8. Watch out for the “little” sins.

9. Keep the promise of eternal life warm in your heart.

10. Renew your faith in the blood of Christ.

11. Honor those who are doing the blessed work of God in your generation.

12. Follow after and emulate the godly Christians of your generation.

Grace be with you. Amen.

You cannot study the New Testament long without seeing that there is a dichotomy between what we are responsible to do as Christians and what has already been done on our behalf. To understand the distinction is to get a grip on the basics of our faith.

On the one hand, Scripture makes clear how we are to live, act, think, and speak. We are enjoined to be this or to commit ourselves to do that.

But on the other hand, much of the New Testament emphasizes what Christ has already done for us. It says that we are called, justified, sanctified, and kept in the faith through no effort of our own. We learn that Christ and the Holy Spirit are continually interceding on our behalf. And we discover that we have an inheritance that cannot be measured in human terms.

The Coming of the Comforter

Most of Jesus’ final discourse to His disciples consists not of commandments they were responsible to obey, but of promises He would fulfill on their behalf. John 14:15-26 is the heart of His message of comfort–that after His departure, the Holy Spirit would come in His place:

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My command­ments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remem­brance all that I said to you.

The promises Jesus made in that brief passage are staggering. To whom are they made? In context, Jesus is speaking to His eleven disciples, but the scope of His promises is broader than that. In verse 15 He says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” That implies the promises that follow apply to all who love Jesus Christ. Thus they apply to all believers in Christ, whose love for Christ is characterized by their obedience.

We cannot miss Jesus’ clear statement here that the proof of genuine love for Him is obedience to His commands (a subject I explain in great depth in my book The Gospel According to Jesus [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988, 1994]). The New Testament repeats that truth a number of times. John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” Verses 23-24 repeat the same truth: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word…He who does not love Me does not keep My words.”

To those who are obedient, the Lord extends a number of promises. They fall into the category of things that have been accomplished on our behalf without effort on our part. They all are tied to the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, Teacher, and Helper who would minister to the disciples when Jesus left. Together these promises constitute a legacy left by our Lord to all who love Him.

The Indwelling Spirit

The promise of the Holy Spirit is the culmination of all that Jesus said to comfort those eleven troubled men. In that hour of turmoil, they feared being left alone. However Jesus assured them that they would not be left to fend for themselves; they would have a supernatural Helper. The Greek word translated “Helper” (parakletos) literally means “one who is called alongside.” The King James Version translates it “Comforter,” which is one of its meanings.

The Greek word translated “another” may provide a helpful clue in understanding Jesus’ meaning in John 14. There are two Greek words frequently translated “another”: heteros and allos. Sometimes the biblical authors used those words interchangeably, but sometimes they used heteros to speak of another of a different kind and allos to speak of another of the same kind (e.g. the “different” [heteros] gospel vs. “another” [allos] gospel in Galatians 1:6-7).

Allos is the word Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit: “another [allos] Helper.” That could be His way of saying, “I am sending you One of exactly the same essence as Me.” He wasn’t sending just any helper, but One exactly like Himself with the same compassion, the same attributes of deity, and the same love for them.

Jesus had been the disciples’ helper for three years. He had helped them, comforted them, and walked alongside them. Now they would have another Helper–One exactly like Jesus–to minister to them as He had.

The Holy Spirit is not a mystical power; He is a person just as Jesus is a person. He is not a floating fog or some kind of ghostlike emanation. It is unfortunate that the translators of the King James Version used the term Ghost instead of Spirit. For generations people have had the idea that the Holy Spirit is an apparition, something like Casper the Friendly Ghost, the 1950s and 60s comic book and cartoon character! But He’s not a ghost; He’s a person.

All believers have two paracletes: the Spirit of God within us and the Son of God in heaven. First John 2:1 says, “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” The Greek word translated “Advocate” is parakletos.

The disciples must have been greatly encouraged and comforted to hear Jesus say that He would send another Helper to minister to them when He left. But Jesus’ promise extended beyond that. His next words beautifully culminate the message of comfort: “that He may be with you forever” (John 14:16). Not only would the Holy Spirit come to dwell with them, but also He would never leave.

The apostle Paul said that Christ in us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), and Christ promised His Spirit would reside in us (John 14:17). And He will reside in us permanently. Jesus didn’t tell the disciples He would come back and leave again. Nor did He say He would leave and be back in two thousand years. He said He would leave, then come back and be with us as long as we live, and throughout eternity. In Matthew 28:20 Christ says, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

The fulfillment of Christ’s promise came on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). The Spirit came and dwelt within the disciples, teaching them all about Christ, as John 14:26 says He would.

Christ was saying, “I’m going away to My Father, yet I’ll come to you in the form of My Spirit to dwell within you.” That’s a wonderful promise every believer has. There’s no such thing as a Christian who doesn’t possess the indwelling Christ (Romans 8:9). Some people think they have to search for the Holy Spirit, but He dwells in every believer. Paul said to the Corinthians, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Spiritual Perception

Notice that the Spirit is called “the Spirit of truth” in John 14:17. Apart from Him, men cannot know or understand truth. Jesus said, “The world cannot receive [the Spirit of truth], because it does not see Him or know Him” (v. 17). When the academic minds of Jesus’ day came to their conclusion about who He was, their pronouncement was that He was from the devil (Matthew 12:24). They totally ignored the hundreds of prophecies from their own Scriptures that Jesus fulfilled. Since the world didn’t recognize the first Comforter, Jesus, for who He was, you can’t expect it to recognize the second One, who is exactly like the first.

So Jesus told His disciples that when the Holy Spirit came, the world would not accept the message any more than it did from Him. And He was right. In Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, the unbelievers who witnessed the miraculous manifestation thought the disciples were drunk. The Holy Spirit was just as foreign to the stubborn, rejecting world as Jesus had been.

When I first studied John 14, I was puzzled about why in this context Jesus told the disciples that the world in general would not respond to the Holy Spirit. Then I realized that with all the promises Jesus was giving them, they might have succumbed to overconfidence. He told them they would do greater things than even He had done (v. 12), and He promised to answer every prayer they asked (v. 14). They might have been feeling invincible. If they proclaimed the gospel without knowing that the world would not understand, they might have been crushed. So Jesus was tempering their enthusiasm.

An Eternal Union with God

In verse 17 Jesus says to His disciples, “But you know Him.” They knew of the ministry of God’s Spirit from the Old Testament. In Old Testament times, we see the Holy Spirit coming upon certain people for a specific service, and then departing after it was accomplished (cf. 1 Samuel 16:13-14; Ps. 51:11). At Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit had descended on Him like a dove. So the disciples were not ignorant of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

At the end of verse 17 Jesus says, “He abides with you and will be in you” (emphases added). From now on the Holy Spirit would not just assist them but be in them. The Greek text suggests a permanent, uninterrupted residence–something that never happened in Old Testament times. What the Lord promised in Ezekiel 37:14 would come to pass: “I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life.”

What a privilege it is that God in His grace plants His very essence in us! We have a supernatural Helper, not just with but in every one of us who believes.

The Presence of Christ

Our Lord expands the promise in verses 18-19: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me.” Jesus would die the next day, so He wanted to reassure His disciples that they could nevertheless count on His presence after that.

He was guaranteeing that He would rise from the dead. His dying on the cross would not be the end of His existence. But beyond that, He promised, “I will come to you.” Indeed He sought out His disciples after the resurrection, but the context implies He was speaking of something more: His spiritual presence in every believer through the agency of the Holy Spirit.

That is the mystery of the Trinity: the Holy Spirit abides in us (v. 17), Christ indwells us (Colossians 1:27), and God is in us (1 John 4:12). That abiding presence is the source of eternal life. Jesus added, “Because I live, you will live also” (v. 19).

Eternal life refers not just to quantity–to life that goes on forever–but more to quality. It’s the kind of life that makes you sensitive to what God is doing. The essence of spiritual life is walking with God, sensing the Holy Spirit in your life, communing with Christ, and participating in the spiritual realm.

The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to show us Christ. He assures us that Christ really exists. In John 16:15 Jesus says, “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” When Jesus told the disciples to believe in Him just as they believed in the invisible God, He said He would send the Holy Spirit, who would remind them of His presence. Any ministry that centers on the Holy Spirit is dangerous because the Spirit’s ministry is to point to Christ.

Full Understanding

Those who love Christ are not only indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Christ, and the Father, but also enjoy a supernatural union with them. Jesus illustrated that union by comparing it with His relationship to the Father: “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (John 14:20). We are one with God and Christ. That’s why sin is so out of place in the believer’s life.

At this point, the disciples still didn’t understand the mystery of the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit–let alone how they would be able to relate to all three. That’s why Jesus said, “In that day you will know,” a reference to the day of Pentecost.

As soon as the disciples received the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, they began to understand. On the very day that the Spirit of God came to dwell within him, Peter preached a powerful sermon clearly delineating who Jesus Christ is, who the Father is, how they are related, why Jesus came, why He died, why He rose, and what it all meant in reference to Israel.

The Manifestation of the Father

In John 14:21 Jesus says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” The Father loves anyone who loves His Son. That’s not difficult to understand: I find I like people who like my children. How much more must God, whose love is perfect, love those who love His Son?

Jesus also promises to love us and to disclose Himself and the Father to us. I am sure all the disciples were dumbfounded at that point. Judas–not Judas Iscariot, but the disciple who is also called Lebbaeus and Thaddaeus–spoke out: “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” (v. 22). Apparently he thought Jesus would physically manifest Himself and the Father. He reasoned that if he and the other disciples could see Jesus, everyone else should be able to as well. Furthermore, since Christ was to be the Savior of the world, why would He not manifest Himself to the world?

Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him” (v. 23). Thaddaeus might not have been satisfied with that answer; it sounds exactly like verse 21, which sounds exactly like verse 15. They all say the same thing: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments, and I will manifest Myself to you.” We begin to get the idea that this is an important concept.

The point Jesus was making to Thaddaeus is that He would manifest Himself in a spiritual sense. An unsaved person doesn’t have spiritual perception (1 Corinthians 2:12-14), so only those who love and obey Christ can comprehend the manifestation He was talking about.

In verse 24 Jesus says, “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.” How can He manifest Himself to someone who is disobedient? People in the world don’t want Christ. They don’t want to obey His words. They don’t love Him. And since the words Jesus spoke came from the Father, the world doesn’t want Him either. He manifests Himself only to those who want Him. There’s not a soul in the world who wants Jesus Christ to the point of loving obedience who doesn’t receive Him (cf. John 1:12-13).

A Supernatural Teacher

Jesus had spoken only the Father’s words, but thedisciples always had trouble understanding Him during His earthly ministry. For example, John 12:16 says, “These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.” In John 16:12 Jesus says, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”

Now He was turning over His teaching of the disciples to the Holy Spirit, who would dwell in them: “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:25-26). For three years Jesus had been teaching them the Father’s truth, but they never understood much. Now He would send a Teacher that would dwell within them.

Because of that wonderful promise, the disciples were later able to recall the precise words Jesus had spoken to them. Once they recorded them as Scripture, those words would be perfect and error free. In addition, the Spirit revealed new truth to them. Those whom God chose wrote it all down, resulting in the Word of God as we have it today. To deny the accuracy or the integrity of the Bible is to deny this crucial aspect of the Spirit’s ministry.

The Holy Spirit’s main role to us is that of teacher. Verse 26 says that the Spirit teaches “all things.” That does not mean He imparts to us some kind of omniscience. “All things” is used here in a relative sense. It speaks of “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3, New King James Version).

How does the promise that the Holy Spirit will instruct us and bring all things to our memory apply today? The Spirit guides us in our pursuit of truth through the Word of God. He teaches us by convicting us of sin, affirming truth in our hearts, and opening our understanding to the depth of God’s revealed truth. As you’ve probably experienced many times, He often brings to mind appropriate verses and truths from Scripture at just the night moment.

First John 2:27 says, “The anointing which you have received from Him [Christ] abides in you…as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” Why does a Christian continue in Christ and not follow after cults and false doctrine? Because of the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit. God has so endowed the Christian with discernment that he ultimately will not be deceived by lies. He may become confused at times, but he will always abide in Christ.

Verse 27 speaks of the anointing that the believer “received”–past tense. You received the Spirit when you were saved, and He continues to abide in you. The Spirit never leaves any Christian; the true believer will never depart from the faith. If one ever did, the Holy Spirit would have failed in His teaching ministry.

The Power of the Spirit in You

Prior to receiving the Holy Spirit, the apostles were powerless to carry out Christ’s unfinished work. So in Acts 1:8 Jesus promised, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” The Greek word translated “power” (dunamis) is the source of the English word dynamite. Every Christian is packed with power–the Holy Spirit.

Some Christians feel they are lacking in power. If you feel that way, it’s not God’s fault. The power is within you–all you need to do is turn on the ignition switch!

Ephesians 5:18 says to “be filled with the Spirit.” To live a Spirit-filled life means to yield yourself to the control of the Spirit. The way to do that is to “let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Colossians 3:16). Being filled with the Spirit and letting the Word dwell in you are synonymous because they produce the same results: a song in your heart, a thankful attitude, and loving relationships at home and at work (Ephesians 5:19–6:9; Colossians 3:16–4:1).

To let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly is to be preoccupied with the presence of Christ. The more you saturate your mind with what you learn about Him from the Bible, the more He controls your thoughts. By yielding yourself totally to the Word of God and letting it permeate your life, you’ll be controlled by the Spirit’s desires.

God can do great things through you. Ephesians 3:20 says He “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” The power is in you; it just needs to be released. That happens when you yield every aspect of your life to the Spirit’s control.

Conclusion

Nothing can take the place of the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of the believer. Through Him we are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). We are infinitely richer than all the billionaires of the world put together because what we possess is an eternal inheritance.

Paul, quoting the prophet Isaiah, wrote, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Christians are rich beyond imagination. And the greatest resource of all–the Holy Spirit–dwells in us and is with us forever.

During their first missionary journey (Acts 13:14), Paul and Barnabas, under the demonstration of the Holy Spirit, had evangelized and established several Churches in the southern region of the province of Galatia. Believers (mostly Greek converts) were saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, all by the activities of the Holy Spirit.

It was not long before Judiazers from within the Christian Churches began to confuse the believers. They were trying to introduce another gospel. They tried to add the law and works to faith in Jesus Christ as requirement for salvation.
In their seeming zeal and extra knowledge they were challenging Paul’s teaching and his right to teach at all. Just before the matter would be settled in the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) and to combat this delusive persuasion, Paul wrote to the Galatians who were forgetting how they had begun in the Lord.

Sometimes we see that after a big move of God, out of some groups grow certain tendencies and trends that tend to promote a forgetfulness of what God did in the past. There becomes a growing dependence on modern methods, new ideas and new ways of doing things. We see this leading in songs, praying in the public, conducting tarry nights, weddings, child dedication, water baptism etc.

Gradually we find out that from the government of the family, to the local Church, to the section, to the District, to the National Church, we are endorsing human wisdom, clever manipulation, subtitle maneuvering of issues, circumvention of long standing principles and policies. Personalities begin to influence policies. Practices that go on in the world now find their way into the Church.

Our value system is heavily colored by the temporal and the perishing. Success (in the ministry) is now measured by the acquisition of material wealth and be the Sectional Leader; the Sectional Leader wants to be the District Superintendent of course the General Superintendent wants to be the EC, and the EC member wants to be the General Superintendent. All these aspirations lead to unhealthy manipulation to realize unworthy ambitions. Members call for a lower of standards to be like others. Who has bewitched us?
It is a high time we sat ourselves down to look at this pertinent question.
“Having Begun in the Spirit, Are We Now trying To attain Our Goals By Human Effort? We Begun in the Spirit. We cannot make it in the Flesh. We must continue in the Spirit. We Must End in the Spirit.

“Some teach that He is automatically received at the time of salvation. It is certainly true that if you are born again, the Holy Spirit has been with you and has worked in your life. But He has had to work from the outside and is limited in His ministry to you.
(John 14:16,17). The world cannot receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His disciples that they knew the Holy Spirit for He was with them and would be in them. The world can receive Jesus as Savior and be born again, but only a believer (one who has already made Jesus Lord) can receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.”
Commenting on “acts 18: 16,17; 19:2 from these instances we can see that the apostles laid there hands on men who were already believers to receive the holy Spirit. These Scriptures reveal that the indwelling of the holy Spirit is not automatically received at the time of the new birth.
You receive the holy Spirit by faith just as you receive Jesus as the Lord.(Gal.3:14)”
Now what in the world do the i believe gives one the new birth except the Holy Spirit. What i do isto mistake a few instances of the new people groups that needed to have the apostles approval. Acts 10:40- shows us that they received the Spirit as they believed .The gentiles speak in tongues as proof of their salvation.Act 11: 17″ ..therefore God gave them the same gift as he did unto us, when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ;” What is the gift? The Holy Spirit. This kind of teaching is not only abusive but has much in common with the cults.
The Bible: The believer is born of God (God is the source of our regeneration)
I Jn 5:1 “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.” As soon as one believes the Bible says we have God the Spirit dwelling inside.
The believer is indwelt by God when they believe (Holy Spirit)- I John 4:15, Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides In him, and he in God.”
Eph. 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,”
Eph. 4:3And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 2 Cor. 1:21-22Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God 22who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
I Jn 2:26-27 “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”
Every believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit and that same Holy Spirit is the anointing that lives in us. So every believer is “anointed” with the Holy Spirit.
Also,” Christians must be taught to believe for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The disciples in the upper room on the day of Pentecost had been taught about receiving the Holy Spirit by the Master. The entrance of God’s words gives light or understanding (Ps. 119:130).
For example, healing belonged to you the moment you were born into God’s family; but if you never get into the Word and see that divine health is yours, you will continue to be sick.”
If this were true the same faith that saves someone would instantly heal them as well. But the i don’t really believe in faith but in the power of their words which will get them whatever they want. That’s why all this becomes a separate event. Here is how it’s done…
“Five Steps in Action form
1.Ask without fear, knowing that God said you would receive His Holy Spirit.
2.Speak no more English.
3.Come unto Jesus. Open your mouth wide and drink in the Holy Spirit, breathing in as deeply as possible. You are to know that at this moment you receive the Holy Spirit by faith. As you breathe in, you are being filled with the Spirit. ”
(this is an occult technique in which the prana energy fills the air, nowhere does Scripture tell one to do this to receive the Holy Spirit ,who already lives inside all the believers. While I believe in a continual filling as the Scripture teaches, this is not what they are describing.1 Cor.12:13 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body– whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free– and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” What Spirit than are they receiving if they breathe him in.)
[It needs to further be pointed out that this also is found in Oneness Pentecostalism. In J.E.Stiles booklet ” Why receive the Holy Spirit and how to receive him” on p.21 states “Now as you open your mouth, and breath in, don’t pray, don’t talk don’t say a single word, just breathe in deeply… If you will sit quietly for a time…just breathing in the breath of God, you certainly will feel a moving of the Spirit.. Just lift your voice and speak the sounds that seem easy to make,…After you have spoken for considerable time, stop and breathe deeply again and you will get a a fresh anointing.]
4.”Raise your voice. Use your lips, tongue, and voice to speak out the praise in an unknown language as the Spirit gives you the utterance.
[Recently at John Hagee’s Church Kenneth Copeland spoke explaining how his wife got filled with the Spirit “And the church Gloria came from, dear God. She was raised in a little church out in the country, they didn’t have a pastor at that time. Didn’t believe anything. She’d been saved and filled with the Holy Ghost 3 months before she ever heard the word new birth. She did not know what it was! “(Aug 18,1999 Hagess program on TBN) How is this possible in light of her booklet instructing others to be filled a certain way by asking specifically and breathing the Spirit it in. This shows these people are confused.
5.Allow the rivers of living water to flow from you with the greatest of freedom. You are magnifying God-extolling (praising enthusiastically) the Father God who is Love and offering up the praise of thanksgiving unto Him.
‘Now that you have received the Holy Spirit, rely on the Word that Jesus spoke, “He shall remain with you forever.”
(note: He will remain with you forever long before you did all this, if you received Christ the way the Bible teaches. I continue by saying Jesus said the holy Spirit would be given to teach you, not just some things, but ALL the truth . For reference purpose read:
(Gods will is the Holy Spirit “the promise is for you’ , Gloria Copeland reprint 1991) Kenneth Copeland publications)
Really! Do i believe they have all the truth? Not even a single apostle believed this, because God used several to write the Scriptures.
John 16:13″However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”
To guide means to show the way (literally or figuratively [teach]) the object would be the word which he would then guide us into, he will make us wise in the word not beyond it.
Here’s how i explains he will do it. “This great one has been instructed to lead you into all the truth, he will lead you, be quick to follow. The problem with this is he leads us into the truth of the word. Biblically John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”The purpose was for the apostles to have a perfect recollection and the witness be written to us
John 15:26-27 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. “And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”
What I have done is come up with “many new revelations” outside the word which they believe the Spirit has taught them. So this “ALL the truth certainly means more than what is written to guide you. Yet Paul who had a greater revelation than all the Apostles said in 1 Cor.4:6 do not go beyond what is written that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.”
The Scripture says 2 Tim. 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
While I believe this, it is surface level because I teach beyond what is written which Paul commanded not to. So the Spirit leads one into the truth of the word, not outside it. One can only wonder what Spirit this is, since he was not received when one has a new birth but is given separately on account of ones faith, which according to ME is a “force.”